Passport Renewal Cannot Be Denied Due to Pendency of Criminal Case When Trial Court Has Permitted Renewal: Supreme Court

The Supreme Court of India has reaffirmed that the right to travel abroad and the right to hold a passport are integral parts of personal liberty guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution of India. The Court held that merely because criminal proceedings are pending, a citizen cannot be subjected to an indefinite or permanent bar on renewal of a passport, especially when criminal courts have already permitted such renewal…