Bombay High Court
Mumbai: The Bombay High Court has said that the right of a minor to obtain a passport and travel abroad cannot be taken away due to an ongoing marital dispute between the parents. The court gave this order on Wednesday, a copy of which was made available on Thursday. The court directed the Pune Regional Passport Office (RPO) to issue a passport to the 17-year-old girl within two weeks and said the right to travel abroad is an aspect of the fundamental right provided for in the Constitution.
what is the matter
In fact, the RPO had sent a message to the girl’s mother in November 2024, stating that the girl’s passport application would not be processed as her father had objected to it. According to the petition, a divorce case is ongoing between the girl’s parents. In response to the passport office’s message, the girl’s mother told the passport office that the form did not contain the father’s consent as there was a matrimonial dispute between the couple.
Student will go to Japan on study tour
The High Court in its judgment said that the valuable constitutional right of the petitioner girl cannot be taken away from her on the basis of a mere message from her father refusing to give her No Objection Certificate (NOC). It said the minor girl is living with her mother and is a bright student who has scored excellent marks in her Class 10 examination. The High Court said that due to his excellent performance he has been selected to participate in a study tour to Japan organized by his school. The court said that in such a situation the girl cannot be deprived of the right to obtain a passport. (with language inputs)
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