Allahabad High Court
SHAMA PARVEENversusUNION OF INDIA AND ANOTHER
- Decided
Holding
The Court held that pendency of criminal proceedings does not by itself justify denial of a passport and directed the Regional Passport Officer to decide the application in accordance with the 1993 notification and 2024 Office Memorandum after a fresh representation by the petitioner.
Summary
The petitioner applied for a fresh passport, which remained pending since 23 September 2025 because the Regional Passport Officer (RPO) in Bareilly cited a pending criminal case against him. The petitioner sought a writ of mandamus directing the RPO to decide the application promptly. The Court noted prior judgments that mere pendency of criminal proceedings does not warrant rejection of a passport application and that the procedure must follow Notification G.S.R. 570(E) (1993) and the Office Memorandum of 6 December 2024 under Section 22 of the Passports Act, 1967. It directed the petitioner to file a fresh representation before the RPO within one month and ordered the RPO to decide the application within three months, adhering to the stipulated guidelines. The Court clarified that a court order permitting travel is required but no separate NOC, and that the passport, if granted, shall be issued for one year where no period is fixed. The petition was consequently disposed.
Issues considered
- Does the pendency of a criminal case justify rejection of a passport application?
- What procedural requirements under the Passports Act, 1967 and related notifications must the Regional Passport Officer follow?
- Is the petitioner entitled to a writ of mandamus directing the issuance of the passport?
Legislation cited
- Passports Act, 1967 — s. 22
Subjects
- passport issuance
- criminal proceedings
- mandamus
- Passports Act
- notification 1993
- Office Memorandum 2024
- regional passport officer
- representation
Judgment
HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT ALLAHABAD
WRIT - C No. - 17733 of 2026
Shama Parveen
.....Petitioner(s)
Versus
Union Of India And Another
.....Respondent(s)
Counsel for Petitioner(s) : Najakat Ali
Counsel for Respondent(s) : A.S.G.I., Yadvendra Pratap Singh
Court No. - 40
HON'BLE SARAL SRIVASTAVA, J.
HON'BLE GARIMA PRASHAD, J.
1. Heard learned counsel for the petitioner, Sri Ajit Kumar Srivastava,
learned counsel for the Union of India and the learned Standing Counsel
for the State.
2. The petitioner by means of present writ petition has prayed for the
following relief:-
"Issue a writ a writ order or direction in the nature of
mandamus directing and commanding the respondent no. 2,
Regional Pass-port officer Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh to decide the
passport application form of the petitioner forthwith bearing
application Reference number 25-0066453336 pending before
him since 23.9.2025 expeditiously within stipulated period to be
fixed by this Hon'ble Court, so that justice may be done."
3. The petitioner has applied for issuance of fresh passport. According to
the petitioner, the respondent No.2/Regional Passport Officer, Bareilly
has neither issued the passport nor has passed any order for grant of
issuance of passport on the ground of pendency of a criminal case against
the petitioner.
4. A coordinate Bench of this Court in Pawan Kumar Rajbhar v. Union
of India and others (Writ-C No. 41540 of 2023, decided on 19.01.2024)
WRIC No. 17733 of 2026
2
has held that pendency of criminal proceedings, including at the stage of
investigation, does not by itself justify rejection of a passport application,
which must be considered in terms of Notification dated 25.08.1993. It
has further laid down that upon receipt of information regarding pendency
of criminal proceedings from the State authorities, the Regional Passport
Office shall intimate the applicant within one week and grant not less than
eight weeks to obtain permission from the competent court, during which
period the application may be kept pending. Upon submission of such
permission, the passport shall be processed expeditiously and without
undue delay, preferably within one week.
5. Further, in Harshit Vaish v. State of U.P. and another (Criminal
Revision No. 524 of 2026, decided on 18.03.2026), this Court, taking note
of Office Memorandum dated 06.12.2024 issued by the Ministry of
External Affairs, has observed that while no separate NOC is required, an
order of the competent court permitting the applicant to travel abroad is a
necessary precondition for issuance of a passport. The trial court may
grant or refuse permission and may impose such conditions as it deems
appropriate, including specification of the duration of travel.
6. In view of the above, since the decision in respect of issuance of the
passport is to be taken by respondent No.2, accordingly, the petitioner is
permitted to file a fresh representation before respondent No.2 within a
period of one month from today. On filing the said representation,
respondent No.2 shall consider and decide the application for issuance of
passport to the petitioner in the light of the aforesaid judgements within
the period of three months from the date of receipt of such representation.
7. It is clarified that this Court does not dilute or depart from the
mandatory framework contained in Notification G.S.R. 570(E) dated 25
August 1993 and the clarificatory Office Memorandum dated 06.12.2024
issued under Section 22 of the Passports Act, 1967, including the
stipulation that, where no specific period is fixed by the competent Court,
WRIC No. 17733 of 2026
3
the passport shall be issued for a period of one year.
8. With the aforesaid observations, the present petition is disposed off.
(Garima Prashad,J.) (Saral Srivastava,J.)
May 6, 2026
Kuldeep
Digitally signed by :-
KULDEEP SINGH
High Court of Judicature at Allahabad
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