Big win for Karti Chidambaram as HC orders passport for 10 yrs

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court directed the Regional Passport Authority to issue a passport with a validity of ten years to the Member of Parliament (MP) Karthi P Chidambaram.

Karthi Chidambaram had moved the high court seeking direction to the RPA to issue a 10-year valid passport and the case was listed before Justice Anita Sumanth.

Citing a criminal probe in the INX media case, the RPA provided him passports with only one year of validity from the year 2021though the petitioner held a passport valid till March 5, 2024, said the petitioner.

The RPA had sent a communication to the petitioner stating to apply for a fresh passport in January. To avoid the issuance of a one-year validity passport, the petitioner approached the HC seeking to direct the RPA to issue a regular 10-year validity passport.

Senior counsel P Wilson appearing for the petitioner stated that there was no material evidence to prove that the petitioner was not entitled to hold a 10-year validity passport. False cases were slapped against the petitioner due to political motives, and as a Parliamentarian, he had to be with the people to perform his duties and function, submitted the counsel. The petitioner had no intention to leave the country, his travel was regulated by the Criminal court as he had to take permission to leave the country from the Criminal court each time, he added and sought for a 10-year valid passport.

Additional Solicitor General (ASG) ARL Sundaresan appeared for RPA and opposed the submission because no person who is facing any criminal case in India is entitled to a passport with a validity of more than one year as per the 25th August 1993 notification. Further, it was submitted that the petitioner is not entitled to a 10-year valid passport.