Civil Writ Petition No.20748 of 2010 -1- IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB AND HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH Civil Writ Petition No.20748 of 2010 Date of decision: 29.03.2011 Surinder Singh Sidhu .....Petitioner VERSUS Regional Passport Officer ....Respondent CORAM:- HON'BLE MR.JUSTICE RANJIT SINGH PRESENT: Mr. K.S. Dhillon, Advocate, for the petitioner. Ms. Anjali Kukkar, Advocate, for the respondent. **** RANJIT SINGH, J. The petitioner has filed this writ petition for seeking direction to the respondents to renew his passport. In response to the notice, reply is filed showing that the petitioner is facing a criminal trial for an offence under Sections 364/302/34 IPC, (dated 27.2.1997). The petitioner was serving as a PPS officer and a case was registered against him on the direction of the Hon'ble Supreme Court. Pendency of the case is the reason to deny this request made by the petitioner. There is a specific provision made in the form of Section 6(f) of the Passports Act, 1967 that the the travel documents, in case of a person, who is facing criminal charge, shall be refused. The submission that there is an exemption in favour of the Government employees for grant of passport even if they are facing Civil Writ Petition No.20748 of 2010 -2- criminal prosecution, is apparently misconceived. That exemption obviously is in those cases where some allegations are made of an offence, which is related to discharge of public duties. Offence of murder can not fall in the category of offence, which could be committed in discharge of public duties. Otherwise also the petitioner is no more a Government servant and has retired. The action taken by the respondent-Passport Authority is legal and justified. The writ petition is dismissed accordingly. March 29, 2011 ( RANJIT SINGH ) monika JUDGE