Telangana High Court
WP/4025/2026 of Dr. Muthukumarasamy Thirugnanam Vs The Union of India on 26 February 2026
THE HIGH COURT FOR THE STATE OF TELANGANA AT HYDERABAD (Special Original Jurisdiction) THURSDAY, THE TWENTY SIXTH DAY OF FEBRUARY TWO THOUSAND AND TWENTY SIX PRESENT THE HONOURABLE SRI JUSTICE NAGESH BHEEMAPAKA WRIT PETTTION NO: 4025 OF 2026 Between: Dr. Muthukumarasamy Thirugnanam, S/o. Sri
[ 33001
IN THE HIGH COURT FOR THE STATE OF TELANGANA
AT HYDERABAD
(Special Original Jurisdiction)
THURSDAY, THE TWENTY SIXTH DAY OF FEBRUARY
TWO THOUSAND AND TWENTY SIX
PRESENT
THE HONOURABLE SRI JUSTICE NAGESH BHEEMAPAKA
WRIT PETTTION NO: 4025 OF 2026
Between:
Dr. Muthukumarasamy Thirugnanam, S/o. Sri Ramasamy-lVluthukumalqsamy It/udaliar Aged about 58 yearJ, Occupation- lnterventional Cardiologist rygI^l9t No.501 , RV Padma Lalishmi Apartments, 6-1-171. Secunderabad - 500025'
Telangana.
...PETITIONER
AND
The union of lndia, Rep. by its Principal secretary Ministry of External Affairs, South Block, Secretariat New Delhi, lndia.
The Regional Passport Officer, O/o. Regional P.r.!P91 Office, 73' Red Cross Road, S-hivaji Nagai Secunderabad, Hyderabad - 500003.
...RESPONDENTS
Petition under Article 226 of the constitution of lndia praying that in the circumstances stated in the affidavit filed therewith, the High court may be pleased to issue a writ, order or direction more particularly one in the nature of writ of Mandamus. declaring the action of the 2nd Respondent in impounding of petitioneis Passport No.
Z7 382293, vide
proceedings
HYD/3o/POL/Plct1Og8t2O23 dated 29.12.2025 solely on the ground of non- disclosure of pending criminal case bearing cc No.3306 of 2021 on the file of the XVll Additional chief Metropolitan Magistrate, Nampally, (wrongly quoted the case number as cc No.3994 of 2021) and for non-submission of a quash court order, in the quash proceedings preferred by the petitioner vide crl Pet No. 4126 of 2024, as illegal, arbitrary, unconstitutional, in violation of principles of naturaljustice and contrJry to the provisions of The Passports Act, 1967 and violative of Articles 14
and 21 bf the Constitution of lndia, and consequently direct the 2nd respondent to restore and release the Passport bearing No.27382293, forthwith to the petitioner.
lA NO: 1 OF 2026
Petition under Section 151 CPC praying that in the circumstances stated in the affidavit filed in support of the petition, the High court may be pleased to suspend or stay the operation of the impugned proceedings dt'
HYD/3o/POL/Pl}t1Og8t2O23 dated 29.12.2025 impounding he passport of the petitioner bearing No. 27382293 and permit the Petitioner o travel abroad for attending cardiovascular Research Technologies (cRT)-202 a conference at USA.
washing-ton DC for presentation of his abstract being sele :ted as a Top oral Abstract scheduled on 7th March 2026 to 1Oth March 2026 pending disposal of this petition.
Counsel for the Petitioner: SRI A. TULSI RAJ GOKUL
Counsel for the Respondents: SMT. N.V.R. RAJYA LAKSHU] , SC FOR CENTRAL GOVT. tl:P. FoR
SRI N. BHUJANGA RAO,
Deputy Solicitor General of lndia
The Court made the following: ORDER
II{ THE HIGH COURT FOR THE STATE OF TELANGANA
AT HYDERABAD
THE HONOURABLE SRI JUSTICE NAGESH BHEEMAPAKA
WRIT PETITION No.4O2S af 2o26
26.O2.2026
Between:
Dr. Muthukumarasarny Thirugnanam
...Petitioner
The Union of India,
Rep.by its Principal Secretary,
Ministry of External Affairs, South Block, Secretariat, New Delhi, India and another
...Respondents
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ORDER:
The Writ Petition is filed challenging the action of Respondent No.2 in impounding the petitioner's passport uide proceedings dated 29.12.2025, on the ground of non-disciosure of pending criminal case.
2. Heard Sri A.Tulsi Raj Gokul, lezrned counsel for the petitioner and Smt N.V.R.Rajya Lakshmi, iearned Standing Counsel for Central Government representing Sri N.Bhujanga Rao learned Deputy Solicitor General of India, for respondent Nos.l and
2. Perused the record. AND
\B;\.r \\ P lr)l,i tr)tr
3. Learned counsel for petitioner subnL rs that mere a;raignment of the petitioner in a criminal case cer not be a grcund for impounding the passport. He relies on the j rdgment of this Court in W.F.No..l2 1 I of 2026, dated 04.02.2026. 4 . Learned Standing Counsel for the respo Ldents submits that petitioner has suppressed the mater'. al information regarding a pending criminal case against him :.:., C.C.No.3306 of 2027 on the file of learned XVII Additional Clt ef Metropolitan Magistrate, Nampally. Therefore, impounding .he petitioner's passport as per Rules is not said to be illegal.
5. Be that as it may, considering the judgment r f the coordinate Bench of this Court in W.P.No.32 ll of 2026, dt ed 04.02.2026, and the purpose for which the passport is being r :quested by the petitioner, this Court directs the respondent No.2 t: hand over the impounded passport to the petitioner on the follou i rg conditions:
i) The petitioner herein shall submit a;r undertaking along with an affidawit in C.C.No.33O6 of 2O21, trr nding on the file of learned XVII Additional Chief Metropolitir r Magistrate, Nampally., stating that he shall not leave ndia during pendency of the said C.C., rpithout permission )f the Court and that he shall cooperate with trial Court in c< ncluding the proceedings in the said C.C; iil On filing such an undertaking as we.J as affidavit, the trial Court shall issue a certifred copy of th: same within two (2) weeks therefroml
iii) The petitioner herein shall submit zr: . application afresh along with certilied copy of this order zu well as the aforesaid undertaking before the Passport OIIiicr:: / Authority concerned for handing over the passport; \BKJ \\ P-t(rl5_1016
iv) On filing such an application, the Passport Offrcer/ Authority shall consider the same afresh in the light of the observations made by this Court herein as well as the contents of the undertaking given by the petitioner for handing over the passport, in accordance with law, wit5in three (O3l weeks from the date of said application;
v) Respondent No.2 shall consider the Fassport Rules, 1967 while considering the application for handing over the passport to the petitioner;
vi) The competent authority shall specify the per:nission period of one year for the petitioner to issue the passport for travelling abroad, and also obtain appropriate undertaking from the petitioner stating that the petitioner shall not overstay the permitted period and shall surrender the passport upon return to India,
vii) A-ny other cordition as deemed appropriate by the trial Court.
6. Accordingly, the Writ Petition is disposed of. There sha_ll be no order as to costs. Misceiianeous petitions, if any, pending in this Writ petition, shall stand closed. To, \ \\ The Principal Secretary Ministry of External Affairs, Block, Secretariat New Delhi, lndia. //TRUE COPY// SD/- T. SRIDEVI ASSISTANT REGISTRAR ECTION OFFICER Union of lndia, South q: The Rqgional Passport Officer, O/o. Regional Passport Office, 73, Red Cross Road, Shivaji Nagar Secunderabad, Hyderabad - 5b0003. One CC to SRI A. TULST RAJ GOKUL; Advocate tOpUCI One CC to SRI N. BHUJANGA RAO, Deputy Sotiiitor Geherat of lndia [OPUC] Two CD Copies BN
CC TODAY HIGH COURT DATED:2610212026 *lD i, ,2 -::_,:-.:=-\- : rA,; ri:\.,,2\ t{B 2m[ ::r;l ",tl C-)
ORDER
WP.No.4025 ot 2026 DISPOSING OF THE WRIT PETITION WITHOUT COSTS |;