Phuntsok Wangyal v. Ministry Of External Affairs & ANR

$~69 * IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI + W.P.(C) 1041/2016 PHUNTSOK WANGYAL ..... Petitioner Through: Mr. Ankur Mittal with Mr. Abhay Gupta, Advs.

versus MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS & ANR..... Respondents Through: Mr. Anurag Ahluwalia with Mr.

Prashant Ghai and Ms. Srishti Banerjee, Advs. for R-1 and 2

CORAM:

HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE MANMOHAN

O R D E R

% 08.02.2016 The present writ petition has been filed seeking a direction to the respondents to re-issue the petitioner‟s passport. Petitioner further seeks a direction to the respondents to dispose of his application dated 23rd March, 2015.

Learned counsel for the petitioner states that he was born in Dehradun to his Tibetan Refugee parents on 17th September, 1977 and being an Indian citizen, he was given an Indian Passport in accordance with Section 3(1)(a) of The Citizenship Act, 1955. Learned counsel for the petitioner further states that on 01st April, 2015, the petitioner made an application for re-issue of his passport on account of exhaustion of the pages in the passport.

Learned counsel for the petitioner states that on 22nd April, 2015, respondent No.2 asked him to furnish his identity certificate and the same was submitted by him, but respondent No.2 has not taken any decision on the petitioner's application till date. He also states that the identity certificate has subsequently been handed back to the petitioner after its cancellation.

Keeping in view the aforesaid, the present writ petition is disposed of with a direction to respondent No.2 to decide the petitioner's application within four weeks whose acknowledgment has been placed at page 25 of the paper book after giving an opportunity of hearing to the petitioner.

This Court clarifies that it has not expressed any opinion on the merits of the controversy and the right and contentions of all parties are left open.

MANMOHAN, J FEBRUARY 08, 2016 NG