Selvaraj v. The Regional Passport Officer
Passport – Renewal – Writ of Mandamus under Article 226
Case brief
What is this about?
Madras High Court, Madurai Bench (C.Saravanan, J.), W.P.(MD) No. 18852 of 2025, decided 11.07.2025: mandamus under Article 226 directing the Regional Passport Officer, Tiruchirapalli to renew/issue passport of an accused (A10 in Crime No. 9/2025 involving Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 offences and Section 4 of the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Harassment of Women Act, 1998) where investigation is pending and no charge sheet filed; passport issuance ordered within six weeks with conditions on charge-sheet filing (deposit of passport in Court, retrieval for travel abroad, liberty to cancel on breach); petition allowed at admission with consent, no costs.
What did the court decide?
Writ petition allowed with no costs: first respondent directed to issue (renew) the petitioner's passport within six (6) weeks from receipt of a copy of the order, subject to the condition that if a charge sheet is filed the petitioner shall deposit the passport in the concerned Court and may retrieve it for foreign travel, and that on any breach the first respondent may cancel the passport.