$~90 * IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI # CNR No. DLHC010431432026 + W.P.(C) 13320/2026 & CM APPL. 61936/2026 SAFI KHAN .....Petitioner Through: Mr. Gaurav Rohilla, Advocate versus UNION OF INDIA & ORS. .....Respondents Through: Mr. Shashank Bajpai, CGSC with Ms. Aashna Mehra, Mr. Vatsal, Mr. Govind Singh Chauhan, Advocates and with Mr. Vanshul Pali, GP for R- 2. CORAM: HON'BLE DR. JUSTICE SWARANA KANTA SHARMA O R D E R % 10.09.2026 1. By way of the present petition, the petitioner is seeking following reliefs: “...A. issue a writ of mandamus or any other appropriate writ, order or direction directing Respondent No. 2 to decide the appeal preferred by the Petitioner on 08.06.2026 under Section 11 of the Passports Act, 1967 within such timebound period as this Hon’ble Court may consider appropriate, by a reasoned and speaking order and in accordance with law; B. issue a writ of mandamus or any other appropriate writ, order or direction directing the Respondents to furnish to the Petitioner, prior to the hearing of the said appeal, 31 complete copies of the adverse police verification report, the communication received from FRRO Kolkata, and all note sheets, recommendations, reports and other material relied upon in the proceedings culminating in the communication dated 02.01.2026; C. issue a writ of mandamus or any other appropriate writ, order or This is a digitally signed order. The authenticity of the order can be re-verified from Delhi High Court Order Portal by scanning the QR code shown above. The Order is downloaded from the DHC Server on 14/09/2026 at 17:56:35 direction directing Respondent No. 2 to afford the Petitioner a reasonable opportunity of hearing in the said appeal in terms of Rule 16 of the Passports Rules, 1980 and the proviso to Section 11(5) of the Passports Act, 1967, after due intimation of the date, time and venue; D. issue a writ of mandamus or any other appropriate writ, order or direction directing the Respondents to inform the Petitioner of the registration particulars of the appeal preferred on 08.06.2026 and of the authority presently seized of the same; E. declare that the appellate power under Section 11 of the Passports Act, 1967 read with Rule 14 of the Passports Rules, 1980 in respect of the communication dated 02.01.2026 vests exclusively in Respondent No. 2, and that Respondent No. 3, being the authority which passed the said communication, is not competent to dispose of the appeal preferred against it; G. direct that Passport No. Z6303379 issued to the Petitioner shall continue to remain valid and operative, and that the Petitioner shall be entitled to hold and use the same in accordance with law, pending decision of the said appeal; and H. award costs of the present petition to the Petitioner...” 2. Issue notice. 3. Notice is accepted by the learned counsel appearing for respondents. 4. Having heard the learned counsels appearing for the parties, this Court directs the competent authority to treat the present petition as a representation on behalf of the petitioner and decide the same within a period of four weeks from date, under intimation to the petitioner and this Court. 5. The petitioner is at liberty to approach this Court again, in case the need so arises, by way of filing a fresh writ petition. 6. In above terms, the present petition stands disposed of. 7. The order be uploaded on the website forthwith. DR. SWARANA KANTA SHARMA, J SEPTEMBER 10, 2026/zp VS This is a digitally signed order. The authenticity of the order can be re-verified from Delhi High Court Order Portal by scanning the QR code shown above. The Order is downloaded from the DHC Server on 14/09/2026 at 17:56:35