Punjab & Haryana HC Slams Passport Denial for Accused as Violation of Liberty Under Article 21

The Punjab & Haryana High Court has held that a pending criminal case cannot, by itself, justify the denial of passport facilities.

Justice Harsh Bunger, hearing Kuldeep Singh’s plea, reaffirmed that personal liberty under Article 21 includes the right to travel and possess a passport.

The petitioner, Kuldeep Singh, facing trial under Section 15 of the NDPS Act, had sought permission from the Additional Sessions Judge to apply for a passport. Despite this, his application was rejected due to adverse police verification.

The Court directed the passport authorities to reconsider his application, subject to an affidavit ensuring he would not leave India without trial court permission and would cooperate with the proceedings.