Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court has rejected a request from a local journalist to renew his passport. The court stated that renewing a passport is not an automatic right and must adhere to strict rules.
The journalist, aged 52, lives in Bahadurpura. He has a history of working with a newspaper and a TV channel and presently runs a news website and social media platforms.
His passport, originally issued in 1998 and renewed in 2018 for ten years, was canceled within a year. He turned to the court for its renewal after this cancellation.
The passport was revoked following a report by the state intelligence department. This report linked him to a 1998 criminal case. It alleged he had a pistol, 30 live bullets, and a large amount of potassium chloride mixture. It also suggested his connection to ISI operatives.
Though he was cleared in the criminal case, a confidential report claimed he incited community tensions between 2018 and 2019. The Shamshabad zone’s special branch kept a file on him for alleged unlawful activities.
Based on these findings, the intelligence department advised against issuing a passport to him, citing risks to India’s sovereignty and integrity. The passport authorities acted on this advice and revoked his passport.
In court, the journalist argued that he wasn’t given a chance to present his side, claiming a violation of natural justice principles. He also wanted the notice from the police explaining the revocation reasons to be suspended.
Justice Nagesh Bheemapaka noted the journalist didn’t challenge the original passport revocation. Instead, he questioned a later communication, which was insufficient for relief.
The court highlighted that despite a denial of the allegations, the journalist didn’t specifically dispute having the pistol, ammunition, or alleged ISI links. The court stressed the need for caution when national security is involved.
The court concluded there was no basis to grant the requested relief, indicating that natural justice principles don’t apply when public interest, national security, or confidentiality is at stake.
