APHC010031972026 IN THE HIGH COURT OF ANDHRA PRADESH AT AMARAVATI [3327]

(Special Original Jurisdiction)

TUESDAY, THE THIRD DAY OF FEBRUARY TWO THOUSAND AND TWENTY SIX PRESENT THE HONOURABLE SRI JUSTICE K SREENIVASA REDDY WRIT PETITION NO: 2125/2026 Between:

1. BHIMANADHAM BHARAT REDDY,, S/O BHIMANADHAM BHASKAR REDDY AGED ABOUT 46 YEARS, R/O. H.NO. 8-24-34 SIMS GROUP OF INSTITUTIONS, MANGALDAS NAGAR, GUNTUR-522001, ANDHRA PRADESH.

...PETITIONER AND

1. THE UNION GOVERNMENT OF INDIA, REP BY ITS PRINCIPAL SECRETARY, MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS SOUTH BLOCK, SECRETARIAT, RAISINA HILL, NEW DELHI, INDIA.

2. THE REGIONAL PASSPORT OFFICER, REGIONAL PASSPORT OFIFCE, GJ3M PLUS X9M, VENKATESWARA THEATRE COMPLEX, MG RD, OPP. RADIO STATION, VIJAYAWADA ANDHRA PRADESH 520610 ...RESPONDENT(S):

Counsel for the Petitioner:

1. PILLIX LAW FIRM Counsel for the Respondent(S):

1. MALLAMPALLI SRINIVAS(CENTRAL GOVT COUNSEL)

The Court made the following:

THE HONOURABLE SRI JUSTICE K SREENIVASA REDDY WRIT PETITION NO: 2125 of 2026

O R D E R:

This Writ Petition was filed seeking the following relief:

to issue a writ, order, more particularly “…

one in the nature of writ of mandamus by declaring the action of respondent no. 2 in renewing the petitioner's passport for a period of 1 year instead of a period of 10 years pursuant to the order/NOC dated 20-11-2025 in CRLMP.No.1008/2025 in SC.No.125/S/2022 of Hon'ble IV Addl. Sessions judge-cum-special judge for trial of cases under SC and ST(prevention of atrocities) ACT, 1989 for his renewal Application Reference No. (ARN) 25- 1055464589 dated 01-07-2025 as illegal, arbitrary and against Article 14 and 21 of our Indian Constitution, and consequently to direct respondent no.2 to renew the passport of the petitioner for a period of 10 years to the petitioner on his Application Reference No (ARN). 25-

1055464589 dated 01-07- 2025 …”

2. Case of the petitioner, in brief, is that the petitioner herein is the Director-cum-Chairman of the Southern Indian Institute of Medical Sciences. The said Institution has a number of branches all over the State of Andhra Pradesh. The petitioner is now planning to expand across the country by approaching international institutions to recruit staff from colleges outside India so as to meet higher standards of education. The petitioner proposes to engage Ph.D. holders for his institution by approaching them in different countries to conduct classes in his institutions. In order to meet the said requirements, the petitioner approached respondent No. 2 for renewal of his passport. However, respondent No. 2 renewed the passport of the petitioner only for a validity period of one year despite the directions issued by the learned IV Additional Sessions Judge-cum-Special Judge for Trial of Cases under the SCs and STs (PoA) Act, Guntur, in Crl.M.P. No. 1008 of 2025 in S.C. No. 125 of 2022. The petitioner herein filed the said application before the learned Special Judge seeking renewal of the passport for a period of ten years, and the learned Special Judge, after considering the submissions made and the material on record, directed the Regional Passport Officer to renew the passport of the petitioner. Be that as it may, the passport authorities have renewed the passport of the petitioner only for a period of one year under the guise of a pending criminal case against the petitioner. Hence, the present Writ Petition is filed seeking renewal of the petitioner’s passport for a period of ten years.

3. During arguments, learned counsel for the Writ Petitioner reiterated the contentions raised in the Writ Petition affidavit.

4. Learned Standing Counsel for the Central Government appearing for respondent Nos.1 and 2 would contend that the offences alleged against the Writ Petitioner are under Sections 323 and 341 of the IPC and Sections 3(1)(r) of the SCs and the STs (PoA) Act and, if the Passport of the Writ Petitioner is renewed for Ten (10) years, it would hamper the trial proceedings pending in S.C. No.125 o