Allahabad High Court Directs Police to Complete Passport Verification Within Four Weeks

The order was issued by a division bench comprising Justices Ajit Kumar and Swarupama Chaturvedi in a petition filed by one Rahimuddin. The petitioner had approached the court seeking a direction to the Regional Passport Officer, Bareilly, to re-issue his passport for ten years pursuant to a No Objection Certificate (NOC) issued by the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM), Pilibhit, in October 2024.

His earlier application for a passport had been withheld due to a pending criminal case under Section 447 of the Indian Penal Code and Section 3 of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, 1984. After obtaining the CJM’s permission, his passport was issued in January 2025 but was valid for only one year. Aggrieved by this, Rahimuddin sought a full ten-year passport, contending that once a court grants permission, the passport authority must issue it for the statutory duration.

Rejecting the petitioner’s plea, court held that the passport authority had rightly limited the validity to one year, as the CJM’s order did not specify the duration for which the passport was to be issued. Referring to Clause (a)(ii) of the Ministry of External Affairs’ 1993 Notification, the bench clarified that where the competent court’s order does not mention the duration of travel or passport validity, the passport must be issued for one year only. The court added that the applicant is, however, entitled to seek renewal annually as per law.

While upholding the one-year validity, the bench turned its attention to the procedural lapses that often delay passport issuance. Noting that the High Court was “flooded” with similar petitions, the judges underscored that police verification delays have become a major obstacle in the passport process. Referring to the Citizen’s Charter (June 2025) issued by the Ministry of External Affairs, which prescribes an expected timeline of 30 working days for new passports and seven days for renewals (excluding police verification time), the bench said the verification process itself must not become a bottleneck.

In strong terms, the court observed, “The police in cases of application submitted for passport must submit its report within four weeks without undue delay".

The judges directed that all verification files related to passport applications be processed diligently and completed within the stipulated period, warning that any unjustified delay in administrative functions “should be strictly avoided unless justified by exceptional circumstances". Court linked such delays to a violation of the constitutional guarantee of personal liberty, reiterating that the right to travel abroad cannot be curtailed through bureaucratic inaction.

The bench also reminded passport authorities to inform applicants within a month if their applications cannot be processed due to pending verification or other reasons. Applicants, it added, must first respond to any notice from the passport office or seek necessary NOC or sanction from the concerned court before approaching the High Court.

In conclusion, while denying Rahimuddin’s plea for a ten-year passport, the High Court granted him liberty to apply for renewal upon expiry of the current passport and directed the Registrar Compliance to circulate a copy of the judgment to all Regional Passport Offices in Uttar Pradesh and the Additional Chief Secretary (Home) for necessary compliance.

Case Title: Rahimuddin vs. Union of India and Another

Order Date: October 10, 2025

Bench: Justices Ajit Kumar and Swarupama Chaturvedi