Ahmedabad: The Gujarat High Court has directed the Regional Passport Office (RPO) to issue a fresh passport to a six-year-old boy whose earlier passport was impounded after his mother failed to disclose details about her estranged husband’s consent. The court also imposed a fine of ₹25,000 on the child’s maternal grandfather for suppressing material facts while filing the petition.

Justice Hemant Prachchhak ordered that the passport authority should process the pending application and issue a fresh passport if nothing adverse is found against the child.

The boy has been living with his maternal grandparents in Rajkot since his mother moved to the United States in 2020. A fresh passport application was not processed earlier due to incomplete disclosure in the previous application. A civil dispute between the parents is also pending.

The grandfather told the court that due to their age, it was difficult for the grandparents to care for the child and requested that he be allowed to travel to the US to live with his mother. The child has a valid 10-year US visa, but it is stamped on the old passport that was impounded.

The High Court directed the petitioner to deposit ₹25,000 within two weeks and asked the RPO to return the old passport, if permissible, and decide the fresh application as per rules. DeshGujaart