Farooq Abdullah Granted Passport Renewal NOC, But Foreign Travel Still Requires Prior Court Permission

A local court in Srinagar has allowed the issuance of a No Objection Certificate (NOC) for the renewal of National Conference president Dr. Farooq Abdullah’s passport. The order comes amid ongoing legal proceedings in the high-profile Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA) funds case.

The court has directed the Regional Passport Office (RPO) in Srinagar to process the passport renewal for a limited duration of one year, subject to standard legal conditions. However, the court explicitly clarified that the renewal of the travel document does not automatically permit foreign travel. 

The veteran politician will still require prior permission from the competent court for any travel outside India or outside the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

Dr. Abdullah had approached the court after his passport renewal application was kept pending by authorities. The delay was linked to an adverse police verification report stemming from the active Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) case regarding the alleged misappropriation of JKCA funds.

The CBI strongly opposed Dr. Abdullah's plea, citing the severity of the pending criminal charges and raising concerns over the possibility of the accused leaving the country to evade the legal process.

In its ruling, the court rejected the investigative agency's absolute objection, holding that the mere pendency of criminal proceedings does not, by itself, act as a statutory bar against passport renewal. To support its decision, the court relied heavily on the provisions of the Passports Act and established legal precedents set by the Supreme Court of India, balancing the individual's right to documentation with the judicial requirements of the ongoing trial.

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