IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA, AT DHARWAD DATED THIS THE 24^TH DAY OF NOVEMBER, 2025 BEFORE THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE M.NAGAPRASANNA WRIT PETITION NO. 108469 OF 2025 (GM-PASS)

BETWEEN:

CHANDRAKANTH REDDY NADAKATLA S/O. THIMMAREDDY N, AGE: 66 YEARS, OCC: AGRICULTURE, R/O: WARD NO. 3, PRABHU CAMP, BASAVESHWARA NAGAR, MUDDAPURA, TQ: KAMPLI, DIST: BALLARI NOW VIJAYANAGAR DISTRICT-583132.

…PETITIONER (BY SRI. GIRISH A. YADAWAD, ADVOCATE)

AND:

1. THE UNION OF INDIA THROUGH ITS SECRETARY, MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS, SOUTH BLOCK, NEW DELHI 110001.

2. THE REGIONAL PASSPORT OFFICE, BENGALURU

8^TH BLOCK, 80 FEET ROAD, Digitally signed by RAKESH S KORAMANGALA HARIHAR Location: High BENGALURU-560095.

Court of Karnataka, Dharwad Bench, …RESPONDENTS Dharwad (BY SRI.VENKATESH M. KHARVI, ADVOCATE)

THIS WRIT PETITION IS FILED UNDER ARTICLES 226 AND 227 OF THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA PRAYING TO ISSUE A WRIT OF MANDAMUS DIRECTING THE RESPONDENT NO.2 TO REISSUE PASSPORT TO THE PETITIONER AS REQUESTED BY THE PETITIONER IN HIS APPLICATION DATED 05.02.2024 VIDE ANNEXURE-D, IN THE INTEREST OF JUSTICE AND EQUITY.

THIS WRIT PETITION, COMING ON FOR PRELIMINARY HEARING B GROUP THIS DAY, ORDER WAS MADE THEREIN AS UNDER:

ORAL ORDER

(PER: THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE M.NAGAPRASANNA)

Petitioner is before this Court seeking the prolongation of the petition and submits that this Court has obliterated the proceedings in W.P. No.18066/2023, wherein this Court has held as follows:

“The petitioner is before this Court seeking a direction by issuance of a writ in the nature of mandamus, to consider the petitioner’s application for renewal / re-

issuance of his passport.

2. Heard Sri Dhananjay Joshi, learned senior counsel along with Sri Kashyap N.Naik, learned counsel for the petitioner and Smt. Priyanka S. Bhat, learned Central Government Counsel for the respondent. 3. Facts in brief, germane are as follows:

The petitioner claims to be a lawyer by profession, registered himself with the Bar Council of Karnataka. Petitioner also claims to have registered in New York State Bar of the United States. He is said to be holding a passport issued by the Regional Passport Office, Bengaluru, on 05.04.2013, which was valid till 04.04.2023. Six months prior to the expiry of the passport, the petitioner submits an application seeking renewal / re-issuance of passport.

4. In consideration of the application, a police verification process is undertaken for such re-issuance / renewal. It is averred that during the police verification, it is known that the petitioner is embroiled in three proceedings. One M.C.No.2679/2022 which was initiated at Bengaluru against his wife, is now transferred to Lucknow in terms of an order passed by the Apex Court; another proceeding in C.C.No.621/2022 filed by the wife against the petitioner seeking maintenance under Section 125 of the Cr.P.C. and the third proceeding is a proceeding instituted by the wife in Crl.Misc.No.2524/2022 under Section 12 of the Protection of Women From Domestic Violence Act, 2012. All proceedings are pending before the concerned jurisdictional Courts at Lucknow. At the time of police verification, the petitioner informs the police about all the aforesaid proceedings.

5. A fourth proceeding is a crime registered by the petitioner in Crime No.157/2022 against his wife invoking Sections 384, 380, 504, 506 and 34 of the IPC. The averment in the petition is that, as a counter blast, the wife also registers a crime in Crime No.164/2022 before the jurisdictional police at Lucknow for offences under Sections 498A, 323, 406, 504 and 506 of the IPC and Sections 3 and 4 of the Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961. The petitioner has challenged the same before the High Court of Allahabad and the said challenge is pending consideration.

6. On 16.03.2023, the petitioner receives a letter from the Regional Passport Office informing the petitioner that they have received an adverse verification report from the police and seeks a written explanation. The petitioner replies