NAVIN KUMAR Vs. REGIONAL PASSPORT OFFICER, CHENNAI

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The Petitioner has filed the above Writ Petition to issue a Writ of Certiorarified Mandamus, to call for the records pertaining to the show cause notice issued by the respondent dated 31.01.2017 and quash the same and direct the respondent to issue additional booklet to the petitioner's passport bearing No. N5164279.

(2.) It is the case of the petitioner that since the pages in the passport have got completed, he had approached the respondent to issue additional booklet for his passport. According to the petitioner, the application was made on 23.01.2017. Further, the petitioner has stated that he had traveled to many Countries and the pages in the passport got exhausted. It is also the case of the petitioner that he was involved in a case registered in Crime No.1358 of 2006, on account of the death of his wife. The relatives of his wife suspected that it was nothing but death due to dowry harassment and it is also not in dispute that a criminal case is also pending. The passport Officer wanted the petitioner to surrender the passport, resulting in filing a Writ Petition, before this Court in W.P.No.2686 of 2009. Even after granting stay, the respondent refused to renew the passport resulting in filing a contempt petition by the petitioner. Thereafter, the petitioner's passport was renewed up to 05.05.2018. The petitioner, thereafter made an application for issuing additional booklet, as the existing sheets were all exhausted, on account of his constant travel.

(3.) The application was forwarded to the Police and the Police sent an adverse report, resulting in issuing the show cause notice dated 31.05.2013. Challenging the same, the petitioner filed a Writ Petition in W.P.No.15725 of 2013 and this Court, by order dated 16.07.2013, quashed the show cause notice dated 31.05.2013 and remitted the matter to the respondent for fresh consideration. The respondent was directed to consider the application submitted by the petitioner for issuing Additional sheets without reference to the pending criminal case, pursuant to the order of this Court dated 16.07.2013.