Surat: A Gujarat-origin man working in Kuwait for the past 25 years has moved the Gujarat High Court after the Indian Embassy refused to renew his passport due to a pending criminal case in India related to wrong-side driving, putting his job and residency at risk.

Forty-six-year-old Mohsin Surti, employed in Kuwait on a valid work permit, has approached the High Court through his wife in Mahisagar, stating that without a renewed passport he faces deportation and permanent blacklisting, preventing re-entry into Kuwait or any other Gulf nation.

Surti’s passport, issued in 2016, expires on January 30, 2026. He applied for renewal at the Indian Embassy in Kuwait on August 7, 2025, but received a rejection on August 25, citing the pending criminal case. The Embassy also told him that even a temporary passport would be issued only after submission of a closure report or a court order.

Surti later learned that the case had been filed during his 2024 visit to India at the Lunawada police station for wrong-side and negligent driving. He claims he had settled the matter through a lawyer, yet since the case remains pending in court records, the Embassy declined to renew his passport.

In his petition, Surti said he learned of the pending case only after the Embassy’s communication and has expressed willingness to attend court proceedings via video conferencing or in person. DeshGujarat