Court may permit fresh passport application after surrender of prior passports obtained by false declaration and payment of penalty.

ORDER

This petition has been filed challenging the impugned proceedings of the respondent dated 06.12.2019, seeking to quash the same and consequently to direct the respondent to issue a passport to the petitioner in file No.CB1062627215919.

2.The learned counsel for the petitioner fairly submitted that the petitioner had obtained multiple passports by making false declarations, for which the respondent imposed a penalty. Before filing the present writ petition challenging the impugned order passed by the respondent, the petitioner filed another application before the Madurai Regional Passport Office on 23.01.2025. However, such actions of the petitioner are not acceptable. As a last chance, this Court may permit the petitioner to surrender all the passports obtained by him on the basis of incorrect declaration, permit him to pay the penalty imposed by the respondent, and grant liberty to the petitioner to file a fresh passport application by submitting a declaration mentioning the correct name, date of birth, place of birth and address, and direct the respondent to consider the same and pass appropriate orders.

3.The learned Additional Solicitor General appearing for the respondent submitted that, if the petitioner surrenders all the passports and furnishes proof of payment of the penalty imposed by the respondent, and further files a fresh application along with a declaration mentioning the correct name, date of birth, place of birth and address, then the passport application will be considered after due verification and appropriate orders will be passed in accordance with law.

4.In view of the above submissions, this Court directs the petitioner to surrender all the passports and to produce proof of payment of the penalty imposed by the respondent, and to submit a fresh application along with a declaration mentioning the correct name, date of birth, place of birth and address before the respondent within a period of two weeks from the date of receipt of a copy of this order . Upon such compliance, the respondent is directed to consider the petitioner’s passport application, and after verification, pass appropriate orders in accordance with law, within a period of four weeks thereafter.

5.With the above direction, this writ petition stands disposed of. There shall be no order as to costs. Consequently, connected miscellaneous petition is closed.