JAWAHAR RAJAN Vs. REGIONAL PASSPORT OFFICER

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Thiru. Jawahar Rajan, the petitioner herein holds Indian Passport bearing No: N8141097, which is valid upto 3/3/2026. He made an online application for re-issue of passport under TATKAAL scheme on 22/8/2025. In view of the adverse Police Verification Report (PVR), the Regional Passport Office, Coimbatore, vide communication dtd. 11/9/2025 sought explanation within 30 days from the petitioner regarding Cr.No.26 of 2021 on the file of District Crime Branch, Madurai for the offence under Ss. 120B, 294(b), 406,420 IPC registered against the petitioner and others.

(2.) He has filed the above writ petition stating that, in response to the letter seeking clarification, he appeared and explained to the Officer concerned that the said complaint is a false complaint and he is ready to co- operate for the trial and has no intention to evade the clutches of the law. Despite the said explanation, the Regional Passport Officer has not processed the application hence, he prays for issuance of Writ of Certiorarified Mandamus to call for the impugned communication dtd. 11/9/2025 made in Letter Ref No.SCN/1050049601/25 in File No.CB1075601279425 issued by the 1st respondent and quash the same and consequential direction to the 1st respondent to take steps to reissue the passport based on the renewal application submitted by the petitioner vide application No. 25-1059701888(File No.CB1075601279425) dtd. 8/9/2025.

(3.) The learned Judge, in view of conflicting judgments rendered by two Division Benches of this Court, without going into the merits of the case referred the matter for decision by a Larger Bench. The Learned Judge has framed the question that requires consideration as below:-