906 WP 405 2026 Meena IN THE HIGH COURT OF BOMBAY AT GOA WRIT PETITION NO.405 OF 2026 ALEKSANDRA KUZNETSOVA AND 2 ORS ... PETITIONERS Versus THE UNION OF INDIA THR THE SECRETARY AND 4 ORS ... RESPONDENTS Mr. Ajay Menon, Advocate under the Legal Aid Scheme. Mr. Raviraj Chodankar, Central Government Standing Counsel (Through VC) for Respondent Nos. 1 and 5. Mr. Suhas Parab, Additional Government Advocate for Respondent Nos. 2, 3 and 4. CORAM:- VALMIKI MENEZES & AMIT S. JAMSANDEKAR, JJ. DATED :- 30th September, 2026 P.C.: 1. The Petitioners challenge orders whereby the FRRO (Respondent No.2) rejected their applications for visa conversion and extension of Visa for stay in India on humanitarian grounds. According to the Petitioners, they are Russian nationals and entered India under tourist visas on 08.10.2024, which expired on 07.10.2025. She further claims that since she is unable to return to Russia due to the war with Ukraine, she applied to the UNHCR on 27.06.2025 seeking asylum in Brazil, Ecuador, or Paraguay. In the meantime, she continued to stay in India and applied for a conversion of her tourist visa into an extension/X-Misc/LTV Visa, 30th September, 2026 906 WP 405 2026 which ultimately came to be rejected by the FRRO. 2. On perusing the record of the petition and the additional affidavits filed by the Petitioner No.1 for herself and Petitioners No. 2 and 3, who are her minor daughters aged 12 and 10 years, we are of the opinion that no case has been made out for the interference in the impugned orders for the following reasons: While it is true that the Petitioners application before the UNHCR was pending from 27.06.2025, we have taken note of the fact that even though the petition has been pending before us from November,2025, no steps have been taken by the Petitioners to contact the UNHCR to establish their refugee status or to seek asylum in the countries for which she applied for. It appears from the records that she received a communication from UNHCR on 01.09.2026 and that she could seek asylum upon arrival in Brazil, but none of these communications have conferred the Petitioners with refugee status. 3. Considering the conduct of the Petitioner No.1, and the lack of any steps being taken by her since November, 2025, we reject the Petition. We leave it open to the authorities to take such steps as it deems fit in the circumstances recorded by us in this case. We also note that dismissal of the petition would not preclude the Petitioners from even now seeking a declaration for refugee status 30th September, 2026 906 WP 405 2026 and taking such steps as are available at law or before the authorities of Union of India. 4. In the above circumstances, the petition stands dismissed. 5. The Registry of this Court is directed to transfer the amount of Rs.25,000/- deposited on 15.07.2026 with the Registry of this Court to partly secure the penalty amount imposed by the FRRO for and on behalf of the Petitioners to FRRO, Goa. Details of the accounts are as follows: Function Head - 0070601170100 Account No.: 10314382194 (State Bank of India) AMIT S. JAMSANDEKAR, J. VALMIKI MENEZES, J. 30th September, 2026 Signed by: MEENA VISHAL BHOIR Designation: Private Secretary Date: 06/10/2026 11:40:31