JUDGMENT

The petitioner is the accused No. 9 in Crime No.310/2020 of Wandoor Police Station, registered alleging offences punishable under Sections 143 , 147, 447, 342 and 149 IPC . The petitioner applied for renewal of his passport before the Regional Passport Officer, Kozhikode. The Passport Authority refused to renew the passport of the petitioner on the ground that he did not disclose the pendency of the crime referred to above in his application. The learned counsel for the petitioner submitted that as the entire proceedings in the crime stood stayed at the time when he made the application, he did not mention it. The learned counsel further submitted that it was not a deliberate suppression of a material fact.

2. Having regard to the nature of the offences alleged against the petitioner, this Court is of the view that a direction can be issued to respondent No.2 to renew the passport for one year.

Therefore, the writ petition is allowed. Respondent No. 2 is directed to renew the passport for a period of one year forthwith Sd/-

K.BABU, JUDGE AP PETITIONER EXHIBITS Exhibit P1 THE TRUE COPY OF THE FIR IN CRIME NO. 310/2020 DATED 05/08/2020 OF WANDOOR POLICE STATION Exhibit P2 THE