Mst Rashida Khatun v. State Of West Bengal And ORS.

M/L 158 06.03.2025 Court No.14 PRADIP

IN THE HIGH COURT AT CALCUTTA

CONSTITUTIONAL WRIT JURISDICTION WPA 2118 of 2024 Mst. Rashida Khatun Vs.

The Union of India & Ors.

Mr. Tauhid Khan Mr. Atanu Halder ...for the Petitioner.

Mr. Ashok Kumar Chakraborty, Sr. Adv., ASGI Mr. Kumarjyoti Tewari, Sr. Adv.

Mr. Aniruddha Tewari ...for the Respondents.

1. Affidavit of service filed in Court today is taken on record.

2. Instruction forwarded by the Deputy Passport Officer, RPO, Kolkata signed on 17th February, 2024 is taken on record.

3. An Indian passport was issued in the name of the petitioner by disclosing her name as 'RASHIDA KHATUN' in the year 1998 and it expired in the year 2008. It was again issued in the year 2009 and the same expired in 2019. The petitioner prays for renewal of the same.

4. The petitioner made an application for renewal by prefixing her name with 'MST'.

5. According to the instruction forwarded by the Deputy Passport Officer, the Passport Rules required to be followed if 'MST' is to be prefixed with her name 'RASHIDA KHATUN'. The petitioner is required to furnish:- a) Clippings of two local newspapers or the Gazette notification of the concerned State Govt., as the case may be;

b) At least two public/school documents issued in the desired name to ascertain that the applicant has actually changed his/her name.

6. The report further mentions that, if the name is changed in the passport, the passport application will be processed as pre-

police verification treating it as a complex case/normal case and not Tatkal case.

7. Learned advocate for the petitioner submits that, the petitioner does not have any objection if the passport is renewed in the same name as it was issued earlier.

8. The writ petition stands disposed of by observing that it will be open for the petitioner to apply afresh with all necessary documents. In the event the same is applied, the application of the petitioner shall be processed by the authority at the earliest.

9. Urgent photostat certified copy of this order, if applied for, be supplied to the parties, upon compliance of all requisite formalities.

(Amrita Sinha, J.)