A Delhi court has allowed a petition filed by former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, seeking a no-objection certificate (NOC) for full-term renewal of his passport, which expired in 2018.
Special Judge Dig Vinay Singh of Rouse Avenue Courts noted on Wednesday that since Kejriwal was not currently seeking permission to travel abroad and was bound by bail conditions requiring prior court approval for any foreign travel, there was no legal impediment to the renewal of his passport for 10 years, as per rules.
The court, however, clarified that its order would not in any manner bind the Passport authorities or restrict their discretion in granting or refusing the renewal of a passport under the Indian Passports Act and relevant rules.
The Special Judge further clarified that the order did not give permission to Kejriwal to travel abroad. If the petitioner ever desired to travel abroad for any purpose, he would have to file an appropriate application seeking such permission, he added.
Noting that the no-objection certificate would remain in force for three months, the court directed Kejriwal to get his passport renewed within the stipulated time.
The Counsel appearing for the former Delhi Chief Minister submitted that the application was a standard renewal request for a full-term period of 10 years.
The petition was opposed by both the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). While ED objected to the renewal being granted for a decade, CBI sought a more limited five-year renewal, citing practice in similar cases before special CBI courts.
CBI apprised the court that it was prepared to argue on the framing of charges in the case
The two national agencies have filed separate cases against Kejriwal over his alleged involvement in the irregularities during the formulation and implementation of the now-scrapped Delhi Excise Policy 2021–22.
While CBI filed the case under the Prevention of Corruption Act, ED lodged a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
CBI lodged an FIR following a recommendation by Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena. The national agencies have alleged that irregularities were committed while modifying the Excise policy, with undue benefits extended to license holders. The policy was implemented on November 17, 2021, and scrapped in September 2022 amid widespread allegations of corruption.