Ludhiana doctor's plea: HC orders review of passports in multiple criminal cases
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Ludhiana: In response to a petition filed by a Ludhiana-based doctor, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has directed passport authorities to examine whether travel documents issued to individuals facing multiple criminal cases should be cancelled. The court has asked the Regional Passport Officer (RPO) in Chandigarh to issue a “reasoned order” within a month.
The plea alleges that the doctor’s legal rivals secured valid passports by concealing their involvement in multiple FIRs registered across Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh. The dispute is linked to a 22-year-old property conflict in Ludhiana’s Threeke village.
According to TOI, the petitioner claimed that the group managed to bypass mandatory background checks despite facing FIRs (First Information Reports) in Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh. The petitioner claim the accused face charges including financial crimes (forgery, cheating, and impersonation), violent offences (multiple criminal cases related to the long-standing property feud), and legal violations (alleged breach of Section 6(2)(f) of the Passport Act, which restricts the issuance of passports to those facing active criminal proceedings without explicit court permission).
The petitioner further alleged that the accused, whom he described as politically influential, managed to obtain the documents through forged affidavits and false declarations. He also claimed that one of the individuals has already fled to Canada, while others may be preparing to leave the country to avoid prosecution.
In his plea, the doctor sought immediate cancellation of the passports and demanded action not only against the accused but also against any officials who may have facilitated the issuance.
Dismissing the petition at the initial stage, the high court refrained from ruling on the merits of the allegations but placed a strict timeline on the RPO. "The competent authority must consider the petitioner's representation dated Oct 10, 2025, and pass a reasoned order within four weeks, strictly in accordance with the law," the court observed, reports TOI.
By issuing this directive, the court ensured that the Regional Passport Office in Chandigarh is legally bound to examine the claims and determine whether the passports were obtained fraudulently.
The case revolves around provisions of the Passport Act, 1967. Section 6(2)(f) prohibits issuing a passport to individuals with pending criminal cases unless permitted by a court, while Section 12(1)(b) prescribes penalties for providing false information or suppressing material facts to obtain a passport.
