PIL in High Court on Indian passports illegally issued to foreigners

A Public Interest Litigation has been moved in the Delhi High Court, alleging that Indian passports are being “illegally” issued across the country on a “mass scale” to foreigners; in particular to Afghan, Nepal and Bangladesh nationals, on the basis of “bogus” police reports.

The plea, alleging that “false police verification reports have been issued by Special Branch of Delhi Police and other police departments across the country”, was listed for hearing on December 16 before a bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice Sangita Dhingra Sehgal.

However, the matter could not be taken up as the judges were not available that day and was posted for hearing on March 31.

The petition by a non-governmental organisation claimed that it wrote to the National Security Advisor, Research and Analysis Wing, Intelligence Bureau and CBI regarding the issue, but did not receive any reply from them.

The NGO, Paardarshita Public Welfare Foundation, has sought an investigation into the matter and action against all those government officials and private persons involved in the alleged illegal issuance of Indian passports.