THE HON'BLE SRI JUSTICE NAGESH BHEEMAPAKA WRIT PETITION No.32258 OF 2025

ORDER:

The writ petitioner is facing criminal proceedings in C.C.No.7279 of 2024 on the file of the I Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, Nampally. He applied for renewal of his passport No.C8040626, and the 2nd respondent - Passport Officer, Secunderabad, has renewed the passport for a period of one year instead of the usual ten-year period. Hence, this writ petition.

2. Heard Sri B. Narsing, learned counsel for the petitioner, and the learned Standing Counsel for the Central Government for the respondents. Perused the record.

3. Learned counsel for the petitioner contends that the mere pendency of a criminal case cannot be a ground for refusing to renew the passport for the usual period (i.e., ten years). He further submits that the petitioner earlier filed W.P.No.35582 of 2024 before this Court, and the same was allowed vide order dated 24.12.2024, directing respondent No.2 to take steps for reissuing the passport. Accordingly, respondent No.2 has issued the new passport, but it is valid only for one year, i.e., from 04.02.2025 to 03.02.2026, instead of ten years. Therefore, he prays for a direction to the 2^nd respondent to renew the petitioner’s passport for a ten-year period.

4. Learned Standing Counsel, on the other hand, contends that the 2^nd respondent has followed the Passports Act, 1967, and GSR 570(E) dated 25.08.1993, and renewed the passport of the petitioner for a one-year period as stipulated in the guidelines under GSR

570(E).

5. Having considered the respective submissions and perused the record, it may be noted that the petitioner’s passport has been renewed for a period of one year by following the guidelines specified by the Government of India under GSR 570(E) dated 25.08.1993.

5.1 It is to be noted that the guidelines under GSR 570(E) were issued keeping in view the urgent business travel that may be required by persons who are facing criminal proceedings. In this connection, it is relevant to note the following under GSR 570(E)

dated 25.08.1993:

“GSR 570(E) dated 25.08.1993 was introduced to give relief to such applicants against whom criminal proceedings are pending before any Court of law in India but who may need to travel abroad for some urgent business. With an undertaking under GSR 570(E) and an order from the Court, an applicant could be issued a short-validity passport of one year or for the period specified by the Court.”

5.2. It is to be further noted that the petitioner’s passport has been renewed for one year, and the renewal itself was not refused merely because criminal proceedings are pending against the petitioner. In that view of the matter, this Court does not find any illegality in the impugned renewal of the passport for one year.

6. Considering the submissions made by both the learned counsel, this Court finds that the action of the 2^nd respondent in renewing the petitioner’s passport for a period of one year is in accordance with the provisions of the Passports Act, 1967, and the guidelines issued under GSR 570(E) dated 25.08.1993. Therefore, this Court does not find any illegality or irregularity in the said renewal.

7. In view of the above discussion and in the light of the order dated 18.09.2025 passed by this Court in W.P.No.24771 of 2025, this writ petition is disposed of, confirming the renewal of the petitioner’s passport for a period of one year. There shall be no order as to costs.

Miscellaneous petitions, if any pending, shall stand closed.

___________________________ NAGESH BHEEMAPAKA,J Date:27.10.2025 Note:Issue C.C. by 28.10.2025.

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