PASSPORT OFFICIAL TRANSFERRED FOR ALLEGEDLY HUMILIATING INTER-FAITH COUPLE IN LUCKNOW
LUCKNOW/NEW DELHI: A Passport Seva Kendra official in Lucknow was transferred on Thursday after he allegedly humiliated an inter-faith couple, asking the husband to convert to Hinduism and pulling up the wife for marrying a Muslim, when they went to the office with their passport applications.
Seeking action, Mohammad Anas Siddiqui and Tanvi Seth, who have been married for 12 years, wrote about their ordeal on Twitter and tagged External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Wednesday.
A day later, the Regional Passport Office in Lucknow transferred Vikas Mishra, the official accused of humiliating the couple.
Regional Passport Officer (RPO) Piyush Verma said a show cause notice had been issued to the officer and he has been transferred with immediate effect.
Verma said the passports were issued to the couple on Thursday after he met them in his office here.
“We have also sent the report to the Ministry of External Affairs for further action,” Verma told reporters in Lucknow, assuring necessary action against the official.
The RPO expressed regret over the incident and gave an assurance that it would not be repeated.
Responding to complaints from Siddiqui and Seth, secretary, consular, passport and visa (CPV) division, DM Mulay said he had asked for a report from the RPO and would take appropriate action.
Seth thanked Swaraj, the RPO Lucknow and CPV, for “timely action” in a series of tweets Thursday morning.
The couple had on Wednesday detailed their harrowing experience on Twitter.
Recounting Wednesday’s incident, Siddiqui told reporters in Lucknow that his was a case of re-issuance while his wife was seeking a new passport.
Mishra, the official who allegedly harassed the couple, said in his defence that he was secular and had told Seth that her ‘nikahnama’ showed her name as Shazia Anas, which should be endorsed in her file.
“For this she refused. If she had consented, we would have sent it to the ‘A’ section for data modification. We have to see which person is taking the passport in what name. There is documentary proof, how can we ignore that. I am secular, and I have myself had an inter-caste marriage,” he told the media.