IN THE HIGH COURT FOR THE STATES OF PUNJAB AND HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH CWP No.3481 of 2009 Date of decision: March 5, 2009. Pran Nath ...Petitioner(s) v. Union of India & anr. ...Respondent(s) CORAM:HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE SURYA KANT 1. Whether Reporters of local papers may be allowed to see the judgment ? 2. Whether to be referred to the Reporters or not ? 3. Whether the judgment should be reported in the Digest? Present: Shri Parminder Singh-I, Advocate for the petitioner. ORDER Surya Kant, J. - (Oral): Notice of motion. On the asking of the court, Mrs. K.K. Kahlon, Advocate, accepts notice on behalf of the respondents. The petitioner seeks a direction to the respondents for return of his passport on the premise that no civil or criminal proceedings in any court of law are pending against him. As per the petitioner's case, his house was raided by the police authorities on 25.7.1994 and some cash having been recovered therefrom, a complaint under Section 56 of the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act, 1973 was filed in which he has since been acquitted on 15.4.2004. It is further averred that a penalty of Rs.10 lacs was imposed by the Directorate of Enforcement and after dismissal of his appeal as well as the writ petition against the same, the petitioner has deposited the said penalty on 16.1.2008. According to the petitioner, no other proceeding is pending against him. However, his passport is not being returned despite repeated representations, including dated 7.8.2008 and 13.8.2008 (Annexures P-3 & P-4). Having heard Learned Counsel for the parties and considering the pleas taken by the petitioner, as well as the nature of relief sought in this writ petition, I deem it appropriate to dispose of this writ petition with a direction to respondent No.2 to take cognizance of the petitioner's representations and decide the same by passing a reasoned order within a period of three months from the date of receipt of a certified copy of this order. Needless to say that in case there is no other legal impediment, the passport of the petitioner shall be returned to him within the said period or the reasons for withholding the same be conveyed to him. March 5, 2009. [ Surya Kant ] kadyan Judge