APHC010519482026 IN THE HIGH COURT OF ANDHRA PRADESH WEDNESDAY, THE 30 THE HONOURABLE SRI JUSTICE RAVI CHEEMALAPATI WRIT PETITION NO: 28230 OF 2026 Between: 1. BOBBILI AKHILA, Ms. Bobbili Akhila, D/o Ananda Mohan Bobbili, aged about 28 years, Occupation Student, R/o Dr. No. 21 Colony, Mudasarlova, Opposite Q1 Hospital, Deenadayalapuram, Visakhapatnam - 530040, Andhra Pradesh. 1. THE STATE OF ANDHRA PRADESH, Represented by its Chief Secretary, Government of Andhra Pradesh, Secretariat, Velagapudi, Amaravati, Andhra Pradesh- 522503. 2. The Principal Secretary Home Department, Government of Andhra Pradesh, Secretariat, Velagapudi, Amaravati, Andhra Pradesh 3. The Director General of Police, Andhra Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh Police Headquarters, Mangalagiri, Guntur District, Amaravati Region, Andhra Pradesh - 522503. 4. The Commissioner of Police, Visakhapatnam C Commissioner of Police, Police Barracks, Suryabagh, Visakhapatnam Andhra Pradesh -530001. 5. The Station House Officer / Inspector of Police, Duvvada Police Station, Duvvada / Kurmannapalem Junction, Visakhapatnam 530046. IN THE HIGH COURT OF ANDHRA PRADESH AT AMARAVATI (Special Original Jurisdiction) WEDNESDAY, THE 30th DAY OF SEPTEMBER 2026 PRESENT THE HONOURABLE SRI JUSTICE RAVI CHEEMALAPATI WRIT PETITION NO: 28230 OF 2026 1. BOBBILI AKHILA, Ms. Bobbili Akhila, D/o Ananda Mohan Bobbili, aged about 28 years, Occupation Student, R/o Dr. No. 21-72, Sidhartha BC Colony, Mudasarlova, Opposite Q1 Hospital, Deenadayalapuram, 530040, Andhra Pradesh. AND 1. THE STATE OF ANDHRA PRADESH, Represented by its Chief Secretary, Government of Andhra Pradesh, Secretariat, Velagapudi, Amaravati, Andhra 2. The Principal Secretary Home Department, Government of Andhra Velagapudi, Amaravati, Andhra Pradesh 3. The Director General of Police, Andhra Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh Police Headquarters, Mangalagiri, Guntur District, Amaravati Region, Andhra 4. The Commissioner of Police, Visakhapatnam City, Office of the Commissioner of Police, Police Barracks, Suryabagh, Visakhapatnam 530001. 5. The Station House Officer / Inspector of Police, Duvvada Police Station, Duvvada / Kurmannapalem Junction, Visakhapatnam - Andhra Pradesh IN THE HIGH COURT OF ANDHRA PRADESH DAY OF SEPTEMBER 2026 THE HONOURABLE SRI JUSTICE RAVI CHEEMALAPATI 1. BOBBILI AKHILA, Ms. Bobbili Akhila, D/o Ananda Mohan Bobbili, aged 72, Sidhartha BC Colony, Mudasarlova, Opposite Q1 Hospital, Deenadayalapuram, ...Petitioner 1. THE STATE OF ANDHRA PRADESH, Represented by its Chief Secretary, Government of Andhra Pradesh, Secretariat, Velagapudi, Amaravati, Andhra 2. The Principal Secretary Home Department, Government of Andhra Velagapudi, Amaravati, Andhra Pradesh-522503. 3. The Director General of Police, Andhra Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh Police Headquarters, Mangalagiri, Guntur District, Amaravati Region, Andhra ity, Office of the Commissioner of Police, Police Barracks, Suryabagh, Visakhapatnam - 5. The Station House Officer / Inspector of Police, Duvvada Police Station, Andhra Pradesh- 2 6. The Union of India, Represented by its Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs, North Block / Kartavya Bhavan, New Delhi - 110001. 7. The Bureau of Immigration, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, East Block-VIIL Level-V, Sector-1, R.K. Puram, New Delhi - 110066. ...Respondents Petition under Article 226 of the Constitution of India praying that in the circumstances stated in the affidavit filed therewith, the High Court may be pleased to issue an appropriate Writ, Order or Direction, more particularly one in the nature of a Writ of Mandamus, declaring the action of the Respondents in issuing and continuing Look Out Circular bearing C.No.6074/03/CCRB/2024 against the Petitioner and preventing her from travelling abroad for pursuing higher education in the United Kingdom as illegal, arbitrary, unconstitutional and violative of Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution of India, and consequently direct the Respondents to permit the Petitioner to travel abroad and pursue her higher studies IA 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 direct the Respondents not to give effect to the Look Out Circular bearing C.No.6074/C3/CCRB/2024 insofar as the Petitioner is concerned and permit the Petitioner to travel to the United Kingdom on her Indian Passport No. Y5193454 for pursuing her one-year M.Sc. Healthcare Management programme at Edinburgh Napier University, Scotland, United Kingdom, pending disposal of the Writ Petition, Counsel for the Petitioner: NAGURBABU NURBHASHA Counsel for the Respondents: GP FOR HOME Counsel for the Respondents: GP FOR GENERAL ADMINISTRATION 3 The Court made the following order: Aggrieved by the action of respondents in issuing and continuing Look- Out Circular bearing C.No.6074/C3/CCRB/2024 against the petitioner and preventing her from travelling abroad for pursuing higher education in United Kingdom, the present writ petition has been filed. 2. Heard Sri Nagurbabu Nurbhasha, learned counsel for the petitioner, Sri A.Ravindra Babu, learned Central Government Counsel and learned Assistant Government Pleader for Home Department. 3. Learned counsel for the petitioner, while reiterating the contents of the writ affidavit, contended that without issuing any prior notice, the respondent authorities have issued/continued a Look-Out Circular (LOC) against the petitioner on the ground of the pendency of Crime No.162 of 2024 of Duvvada Police Station, Visakhapatnam City, registered on 26.04.2024 for the offence punishable under Section 420 read with Section 34 of the Indian Penal Code. He further submitted that the petitioner has cooperated with the investigation, complied with the notice issued under Section 35(3) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, corresponding to Section 41-A of the Code of Criminal Procedure, and appeared before the Investigating Officer whenever required. The petitioner has never evaded the process of law. No charge- sheet/final report has been filed till date. He further submitted that the issuance/continuation of the Look-Out Circular against the petitioner, without prior notice, without affording an opportunity of hearing, without periodic 4 review, and without considering the petitioner’s confirmed admission to a foreign university, scholarship, valid visa, and travel tickets, is unconstitutional. Hence, prayed to direct the respondents to permit the petitioner to travel abroad and pursue her higher studies. 4. On the other hand, learned Central Government Counsel and the learned Assistant Government Pleader for Home Department, submitted that the petitioner, without first approaching the Originating Agency seeking withdrawal/cancellation of the Look-Out Circular, has straightaway invoked the jurisdiction of this Court. They further contended that, in view of the availability of an alternative remedy, the present writ petition is not maintainable and is liable to be dismissed. Hence, prayed to dismiss the Writ Petition. 5. Perused the material available on record and considered the submissions made by the learned counsel for the parties. 6. There is no dispute with regard to the registration of Crime No.162 of 2024 of Duvvada Police Station for the for the offence punishable under Section 420 read with Section 34 of the IPC, which is pending against the petitioner. The grievance of the petitioner is with regard to the continuation of the Look-Out Circular issued in connection with the said crime. It is the specific contention of the respondents that the petitioner has not approached the competent authority seeking withdrawal/cancellation of the Look-Out Circular before invoking the extraordinary jurisdiction of this Court under Article 226 of the Constitution of India. 5 7. There is some force in the contention of the learned counsel for the respondents that, ordinarily, the aggrieved person should first approach the authority competent to consider the grievance before invoking the extraordinary jurisdiction of this Court. In a petition seeking a writ of mandamus, the petitioner is ordinarily required to demonstrate that a specific request or representation has been made to the competent authority and that the authority has failed or refused to consider the same. To entertain a Writ of Mandamus, it is a pre-condition that the aggrieved person should have approached the authorities competent against whom such a direction is sought for. The said representation/appeal acknowledged by the authorities competent must be available in the file of the authorities concerned. In the present case, admittedly, the petitioner has not approached the Originating Agency, which is the competent authority for seeking withdrawal/cancellation of the Look-Out Circular, by submitting an appropriate representation before invoking the jurisdiction of this Court. 8. In view of the above, this Court, without expressing any opinion on the merits of matter, is inclined to dispose of the writ petition at the stage of admission itself, with the following directions: i) The petitioner is at liberty to submit an appropriate application/representation before the Originating Agency seeking withdrawal/cancellation of the Look-Out Circular/Look-Out Notice 6 issued in connection with Crime No.162 of 2024 of Duvvada Police Station. ii) On submission of such application/representation, the Originating Agency shall consider and dispose of the same, by taking into consideration the applicable guidelines governing the issuance, continuation and withdrawal/cancellation of Look-Out Circulars, and shall pass a reasoned order within a period of two (2) weeks from the date of receipt of such application/representation. iii) The decision so taken shall be communicated to the petitioner forthwith. 9. Accordingly, the Writ petition is disposed of. There shall be no order as to costs. As a sequel thereto, interlocutory applications pending, if any in the writ petition, shall also stand closed. ____________________________ JUSTICE RAVI CHEEMALAPATI Date: 30.09.2026 MP 7 THE HON’BLE SRI JUSTICE RAVI CHEEMALAPATI WRIT PETITION NO.28230 of 2026 30.09.2026 MP