Punjab and Haryana High Court Directs Deletion of Alleged Husband’s Name from Petitioner’s Passport
In a recent ruling, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has issued a directive to delete the name of the alleged husband from the petitioner’s passport. The judgment was passed by Justice Jagmohan Bansal on 3rd July 2023 in a case filed by Harkirat Kaur against the Union of India and others.
The petitioner, represented by Ms. Neha Jain, sought the court’s intervention to remove the name of Partap Singh from her passport (bearing No.W9870254) as she had not solemnized marriage with him. The inclusion of his name was solely for the purpose of travel, which did not materialize.
Justice Jagmohan Bansal, in the oral judgment, stated, “The petitioner could not solemnize marriage with Partap Singh, thus, she wants to get the name of Partap Singh deleted from her passport.” The court acknowledged the submission made by Ms. Shweta Nahata, advocate for respondents No.1 and 2 representing the Union of India, who accepted the notice on behalf of the respondents.
Ms. Nahata further assured the court that the competent authority would review the petitioner’s representation and legal notice within a period of six weeks. In light of this statement, the court disposed of the petition and directed the respondents to pass an appropriate order on the petitioner’s representation and legal notice within the specified timeframe.
This ruling emphasizes the importance of accuracy in passport records and recognizes the petitioner’s right to have her passport reflect her correct marital status. The decision serves as a reminder that individuals have the right to seek appropriate corrections to their personal identification documents.
The court’s decision provides relief to Harkirat Kaur, who will now have the opportunity to have her passport updated accordingly. The judgment also highlights the significance of timely resolution of such matters by the authorities responsible for passport issuance and administration.
DATE OF DECISION: 03.07.2023
Harkirat Kaur vs Union of India and Others
