Madras High CourtWP/17703/2022disposed of

Veerakumar v. The Regional Passport Officer,

2023-08-31Honourable Mr Justice N. Seshasayee4 pages

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS

DATED : 31.08.2023

CORAM

MR.JUSTICE N.SESHASAYEE Veerakumar ... Petitioner Vs.

The Regional Passport Officer No.785/158, Royala Towers, No.2&3, IV Floor, Anna Salai, Chennai, Tamilnadu - 600002.

... Respondent PRAYER: The writ petition filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India, to issue a writ of Mandamus directing the respondent to release the petitioner's passport No.Z2514683 issued by the respondent. For Petitioner : Mr.P.Saranath For Respondent : Ms.A.Anuradha, CGSC 1/4

ORDER

The petitioner's passport has been impounded by the passport authority on the ground that he is a Srilankan National and he was not entitled to Indian Passport. 2.Learned counsel for the petitioner submitted that the petitioner was born in India to Indian Parents and his passport has been impounded by proceedings by the authority dated 05.08.2021 without informing the petitioner the cause for the same.

3.Ms.A.Anurdaha, learned Central Government Standing Counsel appearing for the respondent made a statement that the passport has been impounded only after issuing a notice dated 20.03.2020 for providing wrong or false informations. 4.What was that wrong information is disclosed only in the counter affidavit filed by the respondent, where it is alleged that the petitioner was a foreign national, and that he also faces investigation in CCB Crime No.268 and 269 of 2018 for the offences which inter alia includes offences under Sections 12(1)(b) and 12(2) of Passport Act 1967.

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5.Without getting into the merits of the allegations, this Court merely directs the authority to give the petitioner an opportunity to establish that the information that he had earlier provided while obtaining passport in 2014 is not false. But at the end of the day, this decision necessarily will be provisional, since a case appears to have been registered precisely on this head. 6.The petition is accordingly disposed of. No costs. 31.08.2023 pvs Index : Yes / No To The Regional Passport Officer No.785/158, Royala Towers, No.2&3, IV Floor, Anna Salai, Chennai, Tamilnadu - 600002.

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N.SESHASAYEE, J.

pvs 31.08.2023 4/4