Background 

In the Matter at hand Shivani Mishra v. Union of India The petitioner opted to file a writ petition to direct the respondent to finish the passport application verification procedure. The petitioner said that when applying for a passport, she included all required paperwork, including a birth certificate from the Ranchi Municipal Corporation. The replies have, however, not finished their verification despite receiving the necessary documentation, which has delayed the passport’s issuing. The petitioner drew attention to the respondents’ inadequate explanation of the police report’s hazy reference to the SCO Office. Respondent, on the other hand, provided a police report that said the petitioner’s papers were considered insufficient for citizenship evidence.

Observation from Court 

Justice Sabyasachi Bhattacharyya presided over a single Calcutta High Court bench that made the ruling. The court held that the petitioner could not continue to suffer due to the respondent authorities’ inaction and ordered them to immediately verify the authenticity of any documents the petitioner had provided for their review.

The Court pointed out that the police report contradicts itself because there are only two citizenship proof papers included on the list needed for police verification, both of which the petitioner has previously turned in. The Court noted that an email asking Ranchi Municipal Corporation to confirm the petitioner’s birth certificate had been issued.

The Court directed the respondent to determine the outcome of the email that was purportedly sent to the Ranchi Municipal Corporation about the verification of the petitioner’s birth certificate as soon as possible. The court further instructed the Ranchi Municipal Corporation to react to the respondent’s email regarding the petitioner’s birth certificate and to act on the server copy of the court’s decision that was communicated. To guarantee compliance, the Court ordered the petitioner to inform Ranchi Municipal Corporation right once of the court’s directive. The Court further stipulated that both the respondent and the should finish the whole verification procedure within a fortnight of the day this directive was communicated.

CASE NAME – Shivani Mishra v. Union of India, WPA No. 16452 of 2023.