Shantilal Ghevarchand Chopra v. Union Of India And ANR.

SKN 1/2 1503.17-wp.doc

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY

ORDINARY ORIGINAL CIVIL JURISDICTION WRIT PETITION NO. 1503 OF 2017 Mr.Shantilal Ghevarchand Chopra.

...

Petitioner.

V/s.

Union of India and others.

...

Respondents.

Mr.A.K.Singh with Mr.M.S.Singh for the petitioner. Mr.Y.S.Bhate with Mr.Dharmesh R. Shah for respondent Nos.1 and 2. CORAM :

A.S.OKA AND M.S.SANKLECHA, JJ.

DATE :

13th March 2019 P.C.:

Heard the learned counsel appearing for the petitioner and the learned counsel appearing for the respondents. In this case, the learned Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate has granted NoObjection certificate to renew passport of the petitioner without clarifying the duration for which the passport is to be renewed. Our attention is invited to the Government of India order dated 25th August 1993 issued in exercise of the powers conferred by clause (a) of section 22 of the Passports Act, 1967. As per the said order, if no period is specified by the learned Magistrate, a passport can be renewed for a maximum period of one year. Faced with this difficulty, the learned counsel appearing for the petitioner states that he will make a fresh application to the learned Magistrate for grant of permission to renew the passport for a specific larger period and, therefore, he will not press the petition.

SKN 2/2 1503.17-wp.doc 2.

Accordingly, the petition is disposed of as not pressed. However, disposal of petition will not preclude the petitioner from making appropriate application before the learned Magistrate which shall be decided in accordance with law. Needless to add that if the permission is granted by the learned Magistrate, it will be open for the petitioner to file a fresh application for renewal of passport.

(M.S.SANKLECHA, J.) (A.S.OKA, J.)