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2026:APHC:3265

APHC010011692026

IN THE HIGH COURT OF ANDHRA

PRADESH

[3327]

AT AMARAVATI

(Special Original Jurisdiction)

THURSDAY, THE TWENTY NINETH DAY OF JANUARY

TWO THOUSAND AND TWENTY SIX

PRESENT

THE HONOURABLE SRI JUSTICE K SREENIVASA REDDY

WRIT PETITION NO.1551 OF 2026

Between:

Jagarlamudi Vasantha Rao ...PETITIONER

AND

Regional Passport Office, Vijayawada, rep. by

the Regional Passport Officer and others ...RESPONDENTS

Counsel for the Petitioner:

1. BASHEER AHMED

Counsel for the Respondents:

1. GP FOR HOME

2. ALEKHYA TADASINA(CENTRAL GOVT COUNSEL)

The Court made the following ORDER:

The present writ petition has been filed questioning the

action of 1^st respondent in not considering the petitioner’s

application, vide File No. VJE065878512725 dated 06.11.2025,

and in not issuing a passport to him.

SRK, J

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2. Case of the petitioner is that, he made an online application

before 1^st respondent, bearing File No.VJE065878512725, dated

06.11.2025, for issuance of Passport. While so, on 15.12.2025,

1^st respondent issued a show cause notice to the petitioner

stating that Police Verification Report indicates that he was

involved in a criminal case registered in Crime No.128 of 2023 of

Addanki Police Station, Bapatla district, for the offences

punishable under Sections 420 and 386 read with 34 IPC.

Petitioner states that 1^st respondent is not issuing passport on the

ground of pendency of investigation in the said Crime. Hence, he

filed the present Writ Petition.

3. Learned Assistant Government Pleader for Home

submitted that the case in Crime No.128 of 2023 of Addanki

Police Station, Bapatla district is at the stage of investigation.

4. The issue and renewal of passports is regulated by the

Passports Act, 1967. Section 6(2), extracted below, is relevant

for this purpose.

(2) subject to the other provisions of this Act,

the passport authority shall refuse to issue a

passport or travel document for visiting any foreign

country under clause (c) of sub-section (2) of

Section 5 on any one or more of the following

grounds, and on no other ground, namely:-

(a) that the applicant is not a citizen of India.,

(b) that the applicant may, or is likely to,

engage outside India in activities prejudicial to the

sovereignty and integrity of India.,

(c) that the departure of the applicant from

India may, or is likely to, be detrimental to the

security of India.,

SRK, J

3 WP No.1551 of 2026 2026:APHC:3265

(d) that the presence of the applicant outside

India may, or is likely to, prejudice the friendly

relations of India with any foreign country.,

(e) that the applicant has, at any time during

the period of five years immediately preceding the

date of his application, been convicted by a Court

in India for any offence involving moral turpitude

and sentenced in respect thereof to imprisonment

for not less than two years.,

(f) that proceedings in respect of an offence

alleged to have been committed by the applicant

are pending before a criminal court of India.,

(g) that a warrant or summons for the

appearance, or a warrant for the arrest, of the

applicant has been issued by a Court under any

law for the time being in force or that an order

prohibiting the departure from India of the applicant

has been made by any such court.,

(h) that the applicant has been repatriated

and has not reimbursed the expenditure incurred in

connection with such repatriation.,

(i) that in the opinion of the Central

Government the issue of a passport or travel

document to the applicant will not be in the public

interest.

The grounds on which, the issue of Passport to the

petitioner is being refused could at best fall within the ambit of

Section 6(2)(f) of the Passports Act,1967. This provision has

been considered in various cases and the ambit of this provision

is fairly settled.

5. The Hon’ble Supreme Court of India in its Judgment dated

27.09.2021 in Crl.A.No.1342 of 2017 in the case of Vangala

Kasturi Rangacharyulu vs. Central Bureau of Investigation, after

considering Section 6(2)(f) of the Passport