Bombay High Court

ALTAF SHAH SAYEDversusUNION OF INDIA THR THE BUREAU OF IMMIGRATION AND 3 ORS.,

Disposal: Rule made absolute

Holding

The LOC must be withdrawn and deleted from the immigration records as the petitioner is now permitted to travel subject to the modified bail conditions.

Summary

The petitioner, Altaf Shah Sayed, challenged a Look Out Circular (LOC) placed on his immigration record on 2 March 2026, which barred him from travelling abroad. The LOC was issued by the Bureau of Immigration on a communication from the Superintendent of Police, acting on a request from the Fatorda Police Station. The petitioner had been granted bail on 7 April 2026 with a condition not to leave Goa without court permission, which was later modified on 5 August 2026 to allow travel abroad subject to submission of his itinerary. The Court examined whether the LOC could remain in force after the bail modification that expressly permitted travel. It held that the LOC must be withdrawn and removed from the immigration system, and directed the police to inform the immigration authorities of the court's order. The petition was consequently disposed.

Issues considered

Whether a Look Out Circular endorsed on 2 March 2026 should continue to operate after the bail conditions were modified on 5 August 2026 to permit the petitioner to travel abroad.

Subjects

Look Out Circular
bail modification
travel restriction
immigration records
court order
withdrawal of LOC

Judgment

2026:BHC-GOA:1981-DB
                                            1 WPCR - 424-2026.docx



              Meena


                           IN THE HIGH COURT OF BOMBAY AT GOA

                          CRIMINAL WRIT PETITION NO.424 OF 2026

              ALTAF SHAH SAYED
              Aged 47 years,
              r/o. Plot No.24, Amrutnagar,
              Gogol, Fatorda Margao                                  ... PETITIONER

              Versus

              1.       UNION OF INDIA
                       hrough the Bureau of
                       Immigration
                       (Ministry of Hone Afairs)
                       Govt. of India, New Delhi.

              2.       STATE OF GOA
                       hrough the Police Inspector,
                       Fatorda Police Station.

              3.       STATE OF GOA
                       Represented through the
                       Oice of the Public Prosecutor,
                       Bombay High Court at Goa
                       Porvorim

              4.       OFFICE OF THE SUPERINTENDENT
                       OF POLICE,
                       South Goa District, Margao, Goa …. RESPONDENTS


              Mr. Siddharth Nunes, Advocate for the Petitioner.

              Mr. S. Karpe, Central Government Standing Counsel for Respondent
              No.1.

              Mr. Preetam Talaulikar, Additional Public Prosecutor for Respondent -
              State.


                                                Page 1 of 3
                                              5th October, 2026
                             1 WPCR - 424-2026.docx




                     CORAM:- VALMIKI MENEZES &
                               AMIT S. JAMSANDEKAR, JJ.
                     DATED :- 5TH OCTOBER, 2026


ORAL JUDGMENT (per Valmiki Menezes, J)


1.    Heard. Rule. Rule made returnable forthwith at the request of and
with the consent of learned Counsel for the parties.


2.    he challenge in this petition is to the endorsement on an LOC,
i.e. Look Out Circular, issued by Bureau of Immigration, New Delhi at
the request of Superintendent of Police dated 25.02.2026 on behalf of
the Police Inspector, Fatorda Police Station, By the communication dated
25.02.2026, Superintendent of Police informed the Bureau of the
pending case against the Petitioner, pursuant to which the LOC was
endorsed in the immigration records, preventing the Petitioner from
travelling abroad.


3.    he bail was granted to the Petitioner on 07.04.2026 on several
conditions, inter alia, that he should not travel out of the State of Goa
without permission of the Court; this order was subsequently modiied
on 05.08.2026, by which the Sessions Court, Margao, in case No.3 of
2026, has granted the Petitioner conditional permission to travel,
provided the Petitioner submits the travel itinerary/details. It is pursuant
to this order that the Petitioner submits that the LOC recorded in the
records/system of the Immigration Authorities on 02.03.2026 must be
deleted to enable him to travel abroad.

                                 Page 2 of 3
                               5th October, 2026
                                                        1 WPCR - 424-2026.docx




                         4.      Considering that the modiication order dated 05.08.2026 now
                         permits the Petitioner to travel abroad on certain conditions, the LOC
                         dated 02.03.2026 recorded pursuant to the communication of the
                         Superintendent of Police dated 25.02.2026 at behest of PI, Fatorda
                         Police Station, must be withdrawn and cannot be permitted to remain in
                         the record, since the Petitioner is now permitted to travel subject to
                         submitting his travel itinerary. he LOC dated 02.03.2026 therefore
                         cannot stand any further. he PI of the Fatorda Police Station through
                         Superintendent of Police shall immediately communicate this order to
                         the Immigration Authorities, who are the Respondent No.1 represented
                         by Mr. S. Karpe, learned Advocate before this Court, to relect the order
                         dated 05.08.2026 modifying the bail conditions of the Petitioner. he
                         Immigration Authorities shall thereafter remove the LOC endorsement
                         from the system to enable the Petitioner to travel.


                         5.      It is made clear that the Petitioner shall strictly adhere to the bail
                         conditions in the modiication order dated 05.08.2026.


                         6.      Rule is made absolute in the above terms. Petition stands disposed
                         of accordingly.




                         AMIT S. JAMSANDEKAR, J                                  VALMIKI MENEZES, J.




                                                            Page 3 of 3
                                                          5th October, 2026
Signed by: MEENA VISHAL BHOIR
Designation: Private Secretary
Date: 06/10/2026 11:39:15

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