Praveen Surendiran v. Regional Passport Officer

BEFORE THE MADURAI BENCH OF MADRAS HIGH COURT DATED : 08.07.2025

CORAM

THE HON'BLE MR.JUSTICE C. SARAVANAN and W.M.P.(MD) Nos.4437 & 11367 of 2025 Praveen Surendiran ... Petitioner Vs.

Regional Passport Officer - Madurai, Government of External Affairs, Passport Office, Bharathi Ula Veethi, Race Course Road, Madurai - 625 002.

... Respondent PRAYER : Writ Petition filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India, for issuance of a Writ of Certiorarified Mandamus, to call for the records of the respondent, in Proceedings No.2500019_CPC_MDU dated 21.02.2025 and quash the same and consequently direct the respondent to consider the petitioner's online application dated 02.12.2024 and reissue/issue the petitioner's passport in Application Reference No.MD1077165348924.

For Petitioner : Mr.R.Krishna Kumar For Respondent : Mr.K.Govindarajan Deputy Solicitor General of India Page No. 1 of 6

O R D E R

Heard the learned counsel for the petitioner and the learned Deputy Solicitor General of India appearing for the respondent.

2. This Writ Petition has been filed for the issuance of a Writ of Certiorarified Mandamus to call for the records of the respondent in Proceedings No.2500019_CPC_MDU dated 21.02.2025, quash the same, and consequently direct the respondent to consider the petitioner's online application dated 02.12.2024 and re-issue/issue the petitioner's passport in Application Reference No. MD1077165348924.

3. The petitioner was the holder of the following Passports: Sl. No.

Passport No.

Period of Validity P3821759 04.10.2016 - 03.10.2026 Z5551511 11.10.2021 - 10.10.2031 X1084091 14.11.2024 - 13.05.2025

4. It is submitted that on 10.10.2021, while the petitioner was in Dubai, Passport No.P3821759, mentioned in Sl.No.1, was reissued by the Embassy of India, Dubai, with a new Passport No.Z5551511, mentioned in Sl.No.2, due to the exhaustion of pages.

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5. It is further submitted that on 14.11.2024, while the petitioner was travelling from Lisbon to Bengaluru, the petitioner's bag containing Passport No.Z5551511 was stolen at Barcelona Airport. Consequently, the petitioner returned to Bengaluru on Emergency Certificate No.X1084091, mentioned in Sl.No.3, issued by the Embassy of India, Madrid.

6. It is further submitted that the petitioner had submitted an application for re-issuance of the stolen Passport No. Z5551511 before the respondent authority through the online portal on 29.11.2024, by paying the requisite fee. The same was acknowledged vide letter dated 02.12.2024 in File No.MD107716534892. All the necessary documents, as required by the respondent, were also successfully submitted by the petitioner.

7. It is further submitted that, in the acknowledgment letter, the petitioner was instructed to visit the Regional Passport Office, Madurai, between 09:30 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. on all working days (except Wednesday). Accordingly, the petitioner appeared before the respondent authority on 07.02.2025 and submitted a representation containing all the details of the cases and their respective stages.

8. The facts on record indicate that the petitioner has been arrayed as Accused No.10 in C.C.No.7559 of 2019 on the file of the III Additional Page No. 3 of 6

Chief Judicial Magistrate Court, Bengaluru, for the alleged offences punishable under Sections 420, 465, 467, 468, and 471 of the IPC in Crime No.257 of 2018. The petitioner is also an accused person in C.C.No.23541 of 2019 on the file of the VIII Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Court, Bengaluru, for the alleged offences punishable under Sections 120B, 420, 456, 468, 471, 506, and 201 of the IPC in Crime No. 137 of 2019.

9. The petitioner had also earlier secured an order from the Hon'ble High Court of Karnataka permitting the petitioner to travel abroad for the period from 02.02.2025 to 29.05.2025.

10. Considering the fact that the petitioner is facing trial in the above criminal cases, the question of quashing the impugned proceedings dated 21.02.2025 issued by the respondent does not arise.

11. The petitioner has to file a suitable application seeking appropriate relief before the concerned Judicial Magistrate Courts in C.C.No.7559 of 2019 and C.C.No. 23541 of 2019. If such an application is filed before the said Courts and the petitioner secures appropriate orders, the passport can be processed. Page No. 4 of 6

12. In the result, this Writ Petition stands dismissed. No costs. Consequently, the connected Miscellaneous Petitions, including the Miscellaneous Petition filed for impleading the State of Karnataka, represented by the Inspector of Police, Cubbon Park Police Station, Bengaluru, in which both the criminal cases were registered against the petitioner, are closed.

08.07.2025 JEN Index : Yes / No Internet : Yes / No To Regional Passport Officer - Madurai, Government of External Affairs, Passport Office, Bharathi Ula Veethi, Race Course Road, Madurai - 625 002.

C.SARAVANAN , J.

JEN Page No. 5 of 6

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