Passport Retention Deemed Indirect Impounding, Jurisdiction Lies with Passport Authority: Bombay HC

Manish Gulabchand Birawat Vs State of Maharashtra and Anr (Bombay High Court) Summary: The Bombay High Court ruled in favor of Manish Gulabchand Birawat, deleting a bail condition that restricted his overseas travel and required his passport to be retained by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI). The applicant, citing a prior ruling in a co-accused’s case, argued that the condition was onerous and violated Sections 10(3)(e) and 10-A of the Passports Act, 1967. The court observed that passport retention amounted to an indirect impounding, which falls under the jurisdiction of the Pas...