Kumaravelu Shanmugam Vs the Regional Passport Officer — Writ and Judicial Review | Madras HC (2026)

Kumaravelu Shanmugam Vs the Regional Passport Officer — Writ and Judicial Review | Madras HC (2026)

What the court decided

AI extract

Outcome

Writ petition allowed: mandamus/direction to the first respondent (Regional Passport Officer, Chennai) to consider the petitioner's representation dated 28.11.2025 for renewal of passport (Application No. MA2075836170125) and pass appropriate orders, if all other parameters are in order, in accordance with law, within four weeks of receipt of a copy of the order, taking note that only an FIR of 2022 subsists with no charge sheet filed; no costs.

Issue for consideration

Whether the first respondent (Regional Passport Officer, Chennai) should be directed, by mandamus under Article 226, to consider the petitioner's representation dated 28.11.2025 for renewal of his passport notwithstanding the adverse police verification report received in respect of F.I.R. No. 699 of 2022, in which no charge sheet has been filed.

Court's answer

The Court directed the first respondent to take note that only an FIR was registered in 2022 and no charge sheet has been filed till date, and to consider the petitioner's representation seeking renewal of his passport and pass appropriate orders, if all other parameters are found to be in order, in accordance with law, within four weeks of receipt of a copy of the order, bearing in mind the dicta in Mahesh Kumar Agarwal Vs Union of India (SLP(Civil) No. 17769 of 2025).

Detailed headnote1 paragraphs

MADRAS HIGH COURT (P.T. Asha, J.) — WP No. 2611 of 2026, order dated 29-01-2026: The petitioner, who applied on 28.10.2025 (Application No. MA2075836170125) for renewal of his passport, was informed by the Regional Passport Officer, Chennai (letter dated 22.11.2025) that an adverse police verification report had been received from Thiru.Vi.Ka. Nagar K-9 Police Station in respect of him in F.I.R. No. 699 of 2022; the petitioner stated he was unaware of the FIR (possibly linked to a protest for a social cause), that no charge sheet had been filed and no summons served. His representation dated 28.11.2025 seeking renewal drew no action. Allowing the writ petition under Article 226, the Court directed the first respondent to take note that only an FIR was registered in 2022 with no charge sheet filed till date, and to consider the representation and pass appropriate orders, if all other parameters were found to be in order, in accordance with law, within four weeks of receipt of a copy of the order, bearing in mind the dicta in Mahesh Kumar Agarwal Vs Union of India [SLP(Civil) No. 17769 of 2025]. No costs.

WP No. 2611 of 2026

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS

DATED: 29-01-2026

CORAM

THE HON'BLE MS. JUSTICE P.T. ASHA

WP No. 2611 of 2026

Kumaravelu Shanmugam

..Petitioner

Vs

The Regional Passport Officer Chennai Royal Towers, No.293, IV Floor, Old No.785, New No.158, Anna Salai, Chennai 600 002.

The Inspector of Police Thiru.Vi.Ka.Nagar, K9 Police Station, Chennai

..Respondents

PRAYER : Writ Petition filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India praying to issue a Writ of Mandamus directing the 1st respondent to consider petitioner’s representation dated 28.11.2025 and renewal the petitioner’s passport vide Application No.MA2075836170125 dated 28.10.2025 within a time frame fixed by this Court.

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WP No. 2611 of 2026

For Petitioner(s): Mr.P.G.Kugan

For Respondent(s): Mr.A.Poornachandran Central Government Standing Counsel for R1 Mr.LK.Baskaran Govt. Advocate [ Crl.Side] for R2

ORDER

The petitioner has filed the above writ petition seeking a mandamus to the respondents to consider his representation dated 28.11.2025 for renewal of his passport vide Application No.MA2075836170125.

It is the case of the petitioner that he applied for renewal of his passport on 28.10.2025 before the office of the first respondent. On receipt of the said application, the first respondent, vide letter dated 22.11.2025, informed the petitioner that an adverse police verification report had been received from Thiru.Vi.Ka. Nagar K-9 Police Station in respect of the petitioner in F.I.R. No.699 of 2022.

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WP No. 2611 of 2026

The petitioner would submit that he is a social worker and political activist, and that the said F.I.R. might have been registered in connection with some protest for a social cause. He would further submit that he was not aware of the registration of the said F.I.R. until he was informed by the first respondent. He would also submit that, as on date, no charge sheet has been filed and no summons has been served on him. The petitioner thereafter submitted a representation to the first respondent seeking renewal of his passport. However, no action has been taken on the said representation to date. Therefore, the petitioner is before this Court.

Heard the submissions of the counsels and this Court also perused the records.

In view of the above, the first respondent is directed to take note of the fact that only an FIR was registered in the year 2022, but no charge sheet has been filed till date, and to consider the petitioner’s representation seeking renewal of his passport and pass appropriate orders, if all other parameters are found to be in order, in accordance with law, within a period of four

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WP No. 2611 of 2026

weeks from the date of receipt of a copy of this order. The 1^st respondent shall bear in mind the dicta laid down in a recent judgment of the Hon’ble Supreme Court reported as Mahesh Kumar Agarwal Vs Union of India [SLP(Civil) No.17769 of 2025. Accordingly, this writ petition is allowed.

No costs.

29-01-2026

Index: Yes/No Speaking/Non-speaking order Neutral Citation: Yes/No

srn

To:

The Regional Passport Officer Chennai Royal Towers, No.293, IV Floor, Old No.785, New No.158, Anna Salai, Chennai 600 002.

The Inspector of Police Thiru.Vi.Ka.Nagar, K9 Police Station, Chennai

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WP No. 2611 of 2026

P.T.ASHA J.

srn

WP No. 2611 of 2026

29-01-2026

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