Ahmedabad: The Gujarat high court has directed the Regional Passport Office (RPO) to issue a fresh passport to a six-year-old child, after the child’s earlier passport was impounded because his mother had concealed information regarding her estranged husband’s consent. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 25,000 on the child’s maternal grandfather, who had filed the petition, holding him accountable for omitting material facts.In his order, Justice Hemant Prachchhak stated, “After considering the merits of the application, and if nothing adverse against the applicant is found, the respondent shall issue a fresh passport.”The child’s mother emigrated to the US in 2020, when he was one-year-old. The boy has been stuck in India since and is living with his maternal grandparents in Rajkot. While another application had been filed for a fresh passport, the authority did not process it on the grounds that the facts were not stated in the earlier application. A civil dispute is pending between the husband and wife. In his petition before the HC, the grandfather sought directions to the RPO to issue a fresh passport to the child so that he may join his mother in the US. He submitted that it was becoming difficult for the ageing couple to look after the six-year-old, and that it was better if he could join his mother in the US. The child has a 10-year US visa; however, it was stamped on his old passport, which was impounded by the authorities. He also requested the court to fetch the impounded passport. It was also argued that the child should not get punished for his mother’s mistake. After the hearing, the HC stated, “The respondent authorities are directed to decide the application which is pending before them, and if it is found just and proper, the fresh passport shall be issued in favour of (the child).” The HC ordered the petitioner to deposit Rs 25,000 with the court registry in two weeks and directed the RPO to “hand over the original first passport to the petitioners if permissible under the law”.
