ROYALPREET SINGH SANDHU Vs. UNION OF INDIA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Prayer in the present writ petition, filed under Articles 226/227 of the Constitution of India, is for issuance of a writ in the nature of certiorari for setting aside the impugned letter dtd. 17/2/2025 (Annexure-P-10) issued by respondent No.2-Regional Passport Officer Chandigarh, whereby objection has been raised to the re-issuance of the petitioner's passport on the ground that he is not a citizen of India.

(2.) Brief facts, as pleaded, are that the petitioner, Royalpreet Singh Sandhu, was born on 3/2/2008 at Banoor, Punjab, to Sh. Avtar Singh Sandhu and Smt. Varinder Kaur, both of whom were Indian citizens at the time of his birth, as duly reflected in their passports and other documents.

(3.) The petitioner completed his matriculation in May 2024 (Annexure P-4 - Matriculation Certificate issued by the Central Board of Secondary Education). In the meantime, his father, Avtar Singh Sandhu, acquired Italian citizenship and, on 14/3/2024, formally renounced his Indian citizenship in terms of Renunciation Certificate (Annexure P-7). The petitioner's mother, however, continues to be an Indian citizen and holds a valid Indian passport.