Srinagar, Aug 12: High Court has directed the Inspector General of CID to file a status report after son of a Parliament Member and Standing Counsel to Central government’s Passport department have filed a writ petition in High Court alleging delay in issuance of travel documents.
 Issuing notices to the respondents, Justice Hasnain Massodi directed the IGP CID to file the status report within one week and the notices were accepted by the counsels for the state and union in the court.
 “The petitioner has applied for the passport in March this year and so far the CID has not sent the report to the Passport Office despite the fact that he visited their office frequently,” Counsel for the petitioner told the Court.
 Shahnaz Nabi son of National Conference senior leader and Rajya Sabha member, Ghulam Nabi Rattanpuri and his other family members comprising his wife Anjum Majeed, 2-year-old daughter, Safa Nabi and brother Shahnawaz applied for the travel documents, but have not able to get security clearance for last six months.
 Counsel for the petitioner, Muhammad Ashraf Wani pleaded before the Court, “As per the provisions of Passport Manual, after the passport office receives an application, it has to be sent to the CID for verification the same day and the inquiry has to be completed within one month, except for Jammu and Kashmir, where the department has been given two months to complete the verification.”
 The Counsel argued before the Court that Right to travel is a fundamental right guaranteed under Articles 19 and 21 of Constitution of India and Jammu and Kashmir.
 Interestingly, Shahnaz is the Standing Counsel for the central government and has passport department in his compass of representation.

Lastupdate on : Fri, 12 Aug 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Fri, 12 Aug 2011 18:30:00 GMT
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