Sri K S Eshwarappa v. Union of India
Case brief
What is this about?
Passport renewal/re-issuance withheld due to pending criminal proceedings and charge sheets; Article 21 right to travel; short validity passport as accommodation; mandamus to Regional Passport Officer, Bengaluru; prayer for police verification report by Station House Officer; conditions of intimation to jurisdictional court 7 days before departure and 7 days after return; travel subject to bail-order conditions; WP No. 30992 of 2025 (GM-PASS); High Court of Karnataka; Justice Suraj Govindaraj; decided 15 October 2025; writ petition partly allowed.
What did the court decide?
Mandamus directing respondent No.2 (Regional Passport Officer) to consider Application No. BNG075522755925 (Annexure-D) and re-issue the passport with short validity, subject to the petitioner informing the jurisdictional criminal court 7 days before leaving the country and within 7 days after returning, and subject to any conditions already imposed in existing bail orders.