GANESAN KUMARESAN Vs. REGIONAL PASSPORT OFFICER

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The unsuccessful writ petitioner is the appellant before us. The appellant is an industrialist. His passport is valid upto 23/11/2025. He sought its renewal. Since an adverse police verification report was received by the passport authority, the renewal application was not processed. In these circumstances, the appellant filed WP(MD)No. 16123 of 2025 for directing the Regional Passport Officer, Madurai to renew his passport. The learned Single Judge dismissed the writ petition with liberty to the appellant to move a suitable application before the trial court. Assailing the order dtd. 17/6/2025 dismissing the writ petition, this writ appeal has been filed.

(2.) The learned counsel appearing for the appellant pointed out that the Hon'ble High Court of Bombay in the decision reported in 2022 SCC OnLine Bom 1992 (Abbas Hatimbhai Kagalwala v. State of Maharashtra) had held that pendency of criminal proceedings before the trial court cannot be an impediment for renewal of one's passport. He called upon us to follow the said decision and allow this writ appeal.

(3.) Per contra, the learned Deputy Solicitor General of India submitted that the approach adopted by the learned Single Judge is in consonance with the legal position and that interference with the said order is not warranted.