Summary: Abdul Bar Javvad Latifi's passport renewal was delayed because of a criminal case against him. The court has now set conditions for how he can renew his passport.
Abdul Bar Javvad Latifi, who lives in Saudi Arabia, ran into trouble when trying to renew his passport. The issue? A criminal case still open in India. His passport, first given to him on June 25, 2015, wasn't renewed by the Regional Passport Officer because of this case.
Abdul is facing charges under sections 498-A and 506 of the Indian Penal Code, along with sections 3 and 4 of the Dowry Prohibition Act. These charges are being dealt with by the Special Judicial Magistrate in Khammam. Abdul's lawyer argued that just being accused in a case shouldn't stop him from renewing his passport.
“Just being named in a criminal case cannot be a reason to deny a passport.”
Justice Nagesh Bheemapaka made a decision. He said the passport can be renewed if Abdul agrees to some conditions:
Once Abdul gives the necessary documents, the Regional Passport Officer has to look at his application within three weeks. The court also said that the Passport Rules, 1967, should be followed.
“The responsible authority will specify a time period of one year for Abdul to keep the passport for traveling abroad for business reasons.”
The court finished handling the case without any costs involved. Abdul now has a way to renew his passport, as long as he follows the rules set by the court.
