Seeman Appeals to Madras High Court for Passport Reissue

Fast Summary

• Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) leader S. Seeman has petitioned the Madras High Court regarding the Regional Passport Office’s (RPO) refusal to reissue his passport.
• The RPO cited several pending criminal cases against him, as reported by local police.
• Justice N. Anand Venkatesh accepted a request from Tamil Nadu government counsel to file a status report by July 22 and directed central government counsel to take notice on behalf of the RPO.
• Seeman claims he lost his passport in September 2024, lodged a police complaint, and obtained a Lost Document Report in October 2024 before applying for reissuance in November 2024.
• He alleges that since 2008 he has been facing “motivated criminal cases” and states that pendency of such cases should not justify denial of his passport.

Indian Opinion analysis

The case raises critically important questions about balancing individual rights with law enforcement concerns. While S. Seeman argues that unresolved “motivated” allegations should not inhibit foreign travel or access to passports,authorities appear cautious given past legal complaints against him. Access to passports is tied closely to india’s security protocols and judicial expectations, particularly when legal charges are involved but unresolved.

This court decision may set an additional precedent for addressing similar disputes over citizen rights versus administrative discretion under India’s passport issuance framework. Ensuring fairness while upholding accountability will be crucial during this legal process.

Read more: source