SONTHOSH YADAV APPOJIVALLA NAGARAJA Vs. UNION OF INDIA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Heard learned counsel for the petitioner and the learned counsel appearing on behalf of the respondents.

(2.) The petitioner herein has been issued a Passport bearing No.M2343940 dtd. 24/9/2014 for a period of 10 years i.e., till 23/9/2024. As the pages in the Passport were exhausted, the petitioner on 4/10/2023 approached the 2nd respondent for issuance of Passport under the existing Passport No.M2343940 with additional pages for the remaining period. To the petitioner's utter surprise, the 2nd respondent initiated procedure for issuance of a new Passport and in that context, the police officials made enquiries/investigation. On the basis of the said enquiry, a Show Cause Notice dtd. 7/11/2023 was issued to the petitioner to which, he submitted a reply.

(3.) The learned counsel for the petitioner submits that when the validity of petitioner's passport is upto 23/9/2024, the procedure adopted by the passport authorities as if it is for a new/renewal of passport is not tenable. He submits that what all the authorities is required to do is to issue a passport with the very same number i.e. M2343940 for the balance period i.e., upto 23/9/2024 as the pages in the passport dtd. 24/9/2014 were exhausted. He submits that the question of obtaining Police Verification Report does not arise at all in a case like this which would not fall under the category of either a new or renewal of passport.