Writ Petition for Photo ID Disposed as Temporary Travel Documents Pave Way for Repatriation

Madras High Court rules that a separate photo identity card is not required for a Sri Lankan national in a Special Camp, as temporary travel documents issued by the Sri Lankan High Commission are sufficient for obtaining a deportation order and facilitating return to the home country.

In a recent decision, the Madras High Court disposed of a writ petition seeking a direction to authorities to issue a photo identity card to a Sri Lankan national currently residing in a Special Camp in Trichy. The Court noted that a subsequent development, specifically the issuance of temporary travel documents by the Sri Lankan High Commission, had effectively addressed the petitioner's need to travel back to his country, rendering the prayer for a separate ID unnecessary.

Case Background

The petitioner, Mr. Balasundaram Robert Payas, a Sri Lankan national, filed a Writ Petition under Article 226 of the Constitution of India. His prayer was for a Writ of Mandamus directing the first respondent (impliedly, the concerned authority responsible for issuing such IDs, likely connected to the Special Camp or immigration process) to issue him a photo ID within a reasonable time. The petitioner was lodged in a Special Camp in Trichy.

Key Developments and Arguments

During the proceedings, it was brought to the Court's attention that the Sri Lankan High Commission had already issued temporary travel documents to the petitioner. These documents, valid until September 22, 2024, were specifically provided to enable his travel back to Sri Lanka.

Crucially, the Tamil Nadu Government's Public Department had communicated this development, along with the temporary travel documents, to the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) at Shastri Bhavan, Chennai, via a letter dated March 25, 2024. The government's letter requested the FRRO to take necessary action and issue appropriate orders based on the received documents.

The learned Additional Public Prosecutor, representing the respondents, submitted that in light of the temporary travel documents being issued, the logical next step is for the FRRO to issue a deportation order based on these documents. Once the deportation order is in place, the petitioner would be able to travel back to Sri Lanka using the provided travel papers. Therefore, the requirement of a separate identity card as sought in the writ petition no longer arises.

The learned counsel for the petitioner acknowledged that the development regarding the temporary travel documents occurred after the filing of the writ petition. He submitted that the petitioner would now approach the FRRO based on these documents to obtain the necessary deportation order.

Court's Reasoning and Decision

The Court took note of the "said development" – the issuance of temporary travel documents by the Sri Lankan High Commission and the subsequent communication by the State Government to the FRRO. The Court reasoned that the very purpose for which the photo ID was sought was to facilitate the petitioner's return to Sri Lanka.

The Court observed:

"...the very travel document issued by the Sri Lankan High Commission to the petitioner itself is enough and valid document, based on which he can get the deportation order from the FRRO, Chennai and thereafter can travel back to his home country."

Given that the temporary travel document serves the purpose of enabling the petitioner to obtain the deportation order and return home, the Court found that issuing a separate identity card as prayed for in the writ petition was unnecessary at this stage.

Consequently, the Court concluded that "no order is required to be passed in this writ petition as per the prayer sought for herein to give a direction to the respondents to issue an identity card to the petitioner."

The writ petition was accordingly disposed of, with no costs. The judgment underscores that existing official documents facilitating the primary objective (repatriation) can render a separate legal prayer seeking an alternative document (like an ID) infructuous or unnecessary.