AP HC Allows Renewal of Passport to Mines Minister for Las Vegas Visit

Vijayawada: The Andhra Pradesh High Court has directed the regional passport office to renew the passport of Mines Minister Kollu Ravindra, irrespective of the criminal cases pending against him.

A single-judge bench of Justice Nimmagadda Venkateswarlu held a hearing here on a plea for court intervention from the minister, who complained that the regional passport officer was not renewing his passport. Since he was facing several criminal cases, the passport officer asked him to get a No Objection Certificate from 15 courts.

Deputy solicitor general Ponna Rao told the high court on behalf of the regional passport office and the Centre that NOC from court was mandatory as charge sheets had been filed against the minister in several criminal cases.

Government pleader Somaraju, representing the mines minister, submitted that his client planned to visit Las Vegas from Sept. 24 and there was no time for him to complete the procedure to obtain the NOCs.

After hearing both the parties, the court issued an interim order, granting renewal of the passport.