25. 14.09.2026. Court No.237. (Pritam) CRR 4782 of 2025. Prasun Das. -Vs.- State of West Bengal&Anr. Mr. Subrata Mukhopadhyay, Mr. Shamit Sanyal, Ms. Sanchayita De. ..…for the petitioner. Mr. Biswajit Tiwari, Ms. Aishwarya Madhushree. ...for the State. It appears that a criminal case, being G.R. Case No. 500 of 2017, is pending against the petitioner before the learned Judicial Magistrate, 2nd Court, Asansol, Purba Bardhaman, under Sections 448/323/325/24 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860. Although the petitioner's passport was never impounded by the said Court, the petitioner made an application before the learned Magistrate seeking renewal of his passport. In my view, the learned Magistrate rightly rejected the said application, inter alia, on the ground that he is not the competent authority to renew a passport. I find no reason to interfere with the order passed by the learned Magistrate. Renewal of a passport can be effected only by the competent passport authority. 2 Learned advocate appearing for the State points out that the petitioner has already made an application before the competent passport authority seeking renewal of his passport. Accordingly, CRR 4782 of 2025 is disposed of with a clarification that the competent passport authority shall be at liberty to consider the petitioner's prayer for renewal of his passport, notwithstanding the dismissal of his application by the learned Magistrate, strictly in accordance with law and as expeditiously as possible, preferably within a period of one month from the date of communication of this order. Urgent certified website copies of this order, if applied for, be made available to the parties upon compliance with the requisite formalities. (Kausik Chanda, J.)