Directing the Chief Passport Officer (CPO) to appear before it on November 1, the First Bench of the Madras High Court on Wednesday wanted an exhaustive affidavit explaining “the steps taken to check and stop issuance of tatkal passports on the basis of false and forged certificates.”
Chief Justice M Yusuf Eqbal and T.S. Sivagnanam gave a direction because “none appeared on behalf of the CPO,” though the Central Government Standing Counsel was directed to seek instructions on the issue on July 22.
“Since the matter appears to be serious, by adjourning the case to November 1, 2010, we direct the Joint Secretary (CPV) and CPO, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to appear in person before us…,” the Bench said.
The case relates to a petition filed by Pattukottai-based travel agent E. Veera Rajendran, seeking “to declare the amendments made to the Passport Rules in 1999 and 2006 which introduced the tatkal system as null and void.” Mr. Rajendran also wanted a direction to the CPO to pass orders for issuance of passports on first-come-first-served basis and give priority only on the basis of merit and urgency without collecting additional fee.
He challenged the notification issued by the MEA in 23, December 2006, pertaining to passport rules. As per the notification no proof of urgency is required for tatkal passport. A post-police verification shall be done in respective of all passports issued under the tatkal scheme.
The Judges said Mr. Rajendran brought to their notice serious irregularities committed by the passport issuing authorities while issuing out-of-turn (tatkal) passports.
Recalling the details in the documents produced before the court by Mr. Rajendran, the Judges said in 2007 as many as 43,044 applications were filed for out-of-turn passports, and on post-police verification adverse reports were submitted against 1,087 applicants. In 2009 and 2010, in respect of 1,795 and 1,788 applicants, police filed adverse reports against 526 applicants. The Judges also recorded the External Affairs Minister in Parliament admitting that several passports had been arranged with fake documents or fake identities. It was also informed that 585 applicants from different States and places applied for passport on fake documents.
