HYDERABAD: The Telangana High Court made it clear that the Passports Act does not permit a person facing trial in a criminal case to seek renewal of a passport as a matter of right.
The division bench of the Telangana High Court quashed the order of a single judge that directed the passport authorities to consider an application for renewal without regard for the pending trial of a person, who is facing criminal charges.
The Union ministry for external affairs challenged the decision of the single judge, directing passport authorities to consider renewal of the passport of Anantha Raju Goud of Nalgonda district, against whom a criminal case is pending in a trial court at Nalgonda from 2017 onwards. His passport was due for renewal in March 2020.
Deputy solicitor general Gadi Praveen Kumar brought to the notice of the court that section 6(2)(f) of the Passports Act, 1967, passports or travel documents cannot be given or renewed to persons against whom criminal cases or trials were pending. No direction can be given to the authorities in contravention of this provision, he said.
The bench agreed with him and quashed the order of the single judge. The bench, however, granted the petitioner the liberty to approach the trial court and request it to expedite the trial. The bench also directed the trial court to make an endeavor to conclude the trial expeditiously.
