New Delhi, March 16 (IANS) The central government on Monday told the Delhi High Court that it has "no malafide intention" in issuing advocate Prashant Bhushan a passport with an year's validity instead of the usual 10 years and the decision was taken as criminal cases are pending against him.
The government told Justice Rajiv Shakdher that the action to issue a short validity passport of one year to Bhushan was completely in conformity with the prevailing provisions of an August 25, 1993 notification.
Bhushan has challenged the government's refusal to reissue him a passport with full validity.
Filing an affidavit, an under secretary in the ministry of external affairs, said: "Passport Authority, despite the fact that criminal cases were pending against the petitioner (Bhushan), had never denied the passport facility to him and also at any point of time had no intention to impede, hamper or confine the movement of the petitioner."
Bhushan has contended that merely because a few criminal cases pertaining to being part of an unlawful assembly are pending against him, the government denied him a passport with full validity.
The advocate, also a founding member of India Against Corruption (IAC), had staged a protest in August 2012 against the coal scam. Though the protest was non-violent, police had registered a few cases against IAC members including Bhushan for participating in an assembly which was declared unlawful. The cases are pending in Patiala House court here , the plea said.
Bhushan has also argued that the one-year restriction on reissuing the passport is "arbitrary, unreasonable and also discriminatory" and thus in violation of the constitution's article 14 (equality before law).
As per the plea, Bhushan had applied for renewal/reissue of the passport to the regional passport office in 2014. The government had informed him that in order to get his passport renewed, he needs to first obtain a no objection certificate (NOC) from the court where criminal cases are pending against him.
Though the metropolitan magistrate at Patiala House Courts granted him an NOC, he did not specify the duration of validity of the passport, which led to Bhushan being issued the passport on September 12, 2014 - valid only till September 11, 2015.
The government said Bhushan's request for the re-issue of the passport with full validity cannot be acceded to unless the concerned court issues a fresh order in this regard.
The government argued that as per the 1993 notification, a person with a criminal case pending and who applies for the issue or reissue of a passport, has to first obtain a NOC from the court where the case is pending and if the court does not lay down any time period for renewal, then a passport of only one year validity would be issued.
The court posted the matter for April 15.
800-Plus Foreign Jamaat Workers Found Hiding In Delhi Mosques, Trigger Covid-19 Alarm
इस हफ्ते की शुरुआत में जब सुरक्षा प्रतिष्ठान और स्वास्थ्य कार्यकर्ता मध्य
Ambani-Pichai saw together at Lord's: Speculations on investing in 'The Hundred' cricket league, Reliance already owns three T20 teams
Former Team India coach Ravi Shastri on Tuesday shared a photo with Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani and Google CEO Sundar Pichai. All three were watching a cricket match at Lord's. After
Royal celebration of Royal Challengers: Virat sang Victory Song by waving his hand in the air, along with background music with a spoon
Royal Challengers Bangalore team defeated Lucknow to win the Eliminator match of the playoffs. In such a situation, all the players of the team are seen immersed in the euphoria of victory. The video
The wait for the WTC final extended: India will have to win the fourth Test, if they lose, they will have to wait for the New Zealand-Sri Lanka series
Team India suffered a crushing defeat by 9 wickets at the hands of Australia in the third Test match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Due to the flop show of the batsmen, the Indian team lost the match
Action on a demonstration by sprinkling Gangajal at CM Yogi's meeting place, SP leader arrested
Because of the assembly elections to be held in UP next year, now 'Shuddhikaran politics' has started. On Wednesday, the next day after the CM's program in Sambhal, SP workers protested by sprinkling
Vivo will soon launch this budget smartphone, leaked features surfaced
Vivo Y22s Coming Soon: Leaked reports of Vivo Y22s budget smartphones have surfaced. In the leaks that surfaced, information has been received about many specifications of the phone. According to the
Hyderabad: Body of rape-murder accused found on the railway track, minister threatened 'encounter' two days ago
The police have made a big disclosure in the case of rape and murder of a six-year-old girl in the Hyderabad district of Telangana. Hyderabad Police said that a dead body was found on the railway
Covid 19: First plasma therapy successful in the country, corona patient's health is improving
new Delhi. No treatment or vaccine has yet been found for Coronavirus, which is causing havoc in all countries of the world including India. Meanwhile, there is definitely an expectation to defeat
Pune's Poonawala bets 3300 crore rupees on Oxford's Corona vaccine, Indian company Serum has vaccinated half of the world's children
Geoffrey Gitelman. Indian businessman Adar Poonawala has made big bets on the creation of the Coronavirus vaccine. Serum Institute, the world's largest vaccine manufacturer in Pune, is going to
Women's team won ODI series in England after 23 years: Beat the British by 88 runs, Captain Harmanpreet scored 143 runs in 111 balls
Indian women's cricket team won the second match against England in Canterbury by 88 runs. With this, the Indian team has taken an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series. Harmanpreet Singh's