In a significant decision, Justice Surepalli Nanda of the Telangana High Court stated that having a criminal case pending against someone shouldn’t be a reason to refuse the renewal of their passport.
The judge directed the Regional Passport Officer (RPO-Hyderabad) to process the application of 53-year-old Mancherial resident Ravikanti Venkatesham within a week.
Venkatesham, who is dealing with a cheating case in court, had applied to renew his passport in January. However, the RPO rejected his application, citing his involvement in a criminal case. Objecting to this decision, Venkatesham took the matter to the High Court, arguing that it goes against the rules and fairness.