PASSPORT ROW: PROBE SAYS OFFICIAL EXCEEDED BRIEF

NEWDELHI: An internal probe by the external affairs ministry has concluded that the passport issued to an interfaith couple by the Regional Passport Office (RPO) in Lucknow is valid and that an official and the police exceeded brief on the matter. Persons familiar with the probe said an RPO official and police went beyond brief during verification, seeking details that were ‘irrelevant’.

NEWDELHI: An internal probe by the external affairs ministry has concluded that the passport issued to an interfaith couple by the Regional Passport Office (RPO) in Lucknow is valid and that an official and the police exceeded brief on the matter.

The issue had raised a storm last month leading to even trolls against external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj.

Persons familiar with the probe said an RPO official and police went beyond brief during verification, seeking details that were ‘irrelevant’.

The couple had alleged harassment by a passport official, saying they were targeted because of their interfaith marriage.

The UP police in its verification report mentioned that Tanvi was not staying at the address in Lucknow which was provided at the time of applying for the passport.

However, the probe found out the police verification shouldn’t have gone beyond two points of inquiry — criminal record against the applicant and the nationality — as per the new rules.

The ministry had in June reduced the number of questions applicants are required to answer f rom nine to six, restricting the focus on criminal antecedents and nationality of the applicant.

The issue came to light when Tanvi and Siddiqui, who have been married for 12 years, posted on Twitter that they had been humiliated at

the passport office in Lucknow. They alleged that official Vikas Mishra asked Siddiqui to convert to Hinduism and pulled up Tanvi for marrying a Muslim when they went to apply for their passport.

Following the row, Mishra was transferred to Gorakhpur on June 23 and passports were issued to the couple.

The probe also pointed out that the applicants only need to provide two documents to prove their identity at the time of application and the official had no business asking about the marriage certificate.

The couple had tagged Swaraj and following the official’s transfer the minister was trolled on Twitter.

THE MINISTRY HAD IN JUNE REDUCED THE NUMBER OF QUESTIONS APPLICANTS ARE REQUIRED TO ANSWER FROM NINE TO SIX