BANDI RAMABRAHMAN Vs. UNION OF INDIA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) This Writ Petition is filed claiming the following relief:

(2.) The brief facts of the case are that, the petitioner herein is a retired Station House Officer and is having a passport bearing No.M5034433. The said passport was expired on 30/12/2024. Prior to the expiry, the petitioner has submitted an application dtd. 16/12/2024 to the 2nd respondent seeking for renewal of his passport for a further period of ten years. While things stood thus, on 26/12/2024, the petitioner herein received a communication, stating that basing upon the adverse police verification report a criminal case has been registered against the petitioner vide Crime No.279/2021 for the offences punishable under Ss. 420, 486, 467 r/w 34 IPC and Sec. 5 of APPDFE Act on the file of Chirala Rural Police Station. Pursuant to which, the petitioner herein submitted his explanation on 7/1/2025 stating that no charge is framed, no arrest warrant is pending, no summons are issued. Even after receipt of the said explanation, the 2nd respondent neither considered nor issued passport to the petitioner. Hence, the present Writ Petition.

(3.) Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that the referred Criminal Case is still in F.I.R stage. As such, Sec. 6 or Sec. 10 of the Passports Act, 1967 will not apply to the petitioner in the present case.