[2026:RJ-JD:9774] [2026:RJ-JD:9775]

HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE FOR RAJASTHAN AT JODHPUR S.B. Criminal Writ Petition No. 781/2026 Suresh Bhansali S/o Shri Rai Chand Bhansali, Aged About 61 Years, R/o E-58, Shastri Nagar, Ward No. 23, Jodhpur Rajasthan.

----Petitioner Versus

1. Union Of India, Through Ministry Of External Affair, Delhi

2. The State Of Rajasthan, Through Pp

3. Regional Passport Officer, Jaipur, Regional Passport Office, Jaipur.

----Respondents Connected with S.B. Criminal Writ Petition No. 782/2026 Suresh Bhansali S/o Shri Rai Chand Bhansali, Aged About 61 Years, R/o E-58, Shastri Nagar, Ward No. 23, Jodhpur Rajasthan.

----Petitioner Versus

1. Union Of India, Through Ministry Of External Affair, Delhi

2. The State Of Rajasthan, Through Pp

3. Regional Passport Officer, Jaipur, Regional Passport Office, Jaipur.

----Respondents For Petitioner(s) : Mr. Rohin Bhansali Mr. Vipul Dharnia For Respondent(s) : Mr. N.S. Chandawat, AGA Ms. Pintoo Pareek HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE FARJAND ALI

Order

20/02/2026

1. The present criminal writ petitions have been instituted under Article 226 of the Constitution of India read with Section 528 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, seeking issuance of appropriate writ, order or direction to the respondent–Passport Authorities to renew/reissue the petitioner’s passport for the full statutory period of ten years instead of restricting its validity to one year.

2. Briefly stated, the petitioner is facing trial in Criminal Case Nos. 143/2020 (NCV No. 10691/2020) and 17/2022 (NCV No. 1741/2022), arising out of FIR No. 590/2019 registered at Police Station Basni, Jodhpur under Section 304-A IPC. The petitioner has remained on bail throughout the proceedings and it is not in dispute that he has scrupulously complied with all conditions imposed by the learned Trial Court. It is further pertinent to note that cognizance has also been taken against the petitioner vide order dated 21.02.2022 under Section 92 of the Factories Act, 1948, and proceedings have additionally been registered under Sections 4 and 7-A of the said Act.

2.1 It is submitted that the criminal proceedings have been pending for several years. The petitioner, being an established businessman whose professional engagements require overseas travel, asserts that the pendency of the aforesaid cases has substantially impeded his ability to travel abroad for legitimate business purposes and urgent family obligations. The petitioner was originally issued Passport No. K0982763 for a period of ten years from 12.12.2011 to 11.12.2021. Upon its expiry, he sought permission from the learned Trial Court for renewal, which was granted vide order dated 09.03.2022. However, pursuant thereto, the Passport Authority renewed the passport only for one year, i.e., from 27.05.2022 to 26.05.2023 (Passport No. V9701848).

2.2 After expiry of the said limited-validity passport, the petitioner again approached the Court of Judicial Magistrate No. 4, Jodhpur Metro, Jodhpur, seeking permission to travel abroad and for renewal/reissuance of the passport, disclosing that his renewal application (ARN No. 26/0049642608) was pending consideration before the Passport Authorities. The learned Trial Court, vide order dated 02.02.2026, permitted renewal/reissuance of the passport and granted leave to travel abroad subject to conditions. However, no specific direction was issued regarding the duration of validity of the renewed passport.

2.3 According to the petitioner, in the absence of a specific judicial direction granting full-term validity, the Passport Authorities are likely to confine renewal to a period of one year in view of the Office Memorandum dated 10.10.2019 issued by the Ministry of External Affairs, thereby compelling him to seek repeated permissions from the Court and resulting in avoidable multiplicity of proceedings. Hence, the present writ petitions have been preferred seeking a direction for renewal/reissuance of the passport for the full statutory period of