Karnataka High Court clears hurdles for shuttler to compete in global event

BENGALURU: The Karnataka High Court has come to the rescue of top shuttler Daniel S. Farid and asked the Regional Passport Officer to issue him an ordinary passport as he is leaving the country to participate in international tournaments beginning from June 27 in the Netherlands and Germany.

The 18-year-old Bengalurean had approached the high court the second time after passport authorities rejected his plea to issue him a passport. The passport officials had stated, “Notwithstanding the fact that he was not an accused in a criminal case but a witness, his request could not be considered.”

A criminal case had been filed against Farid, his father and others following allegations that they had fabricated his birth certificate. But the High Grounds police, who investigated the case, did not file any chargesheet against Farid, but named him a witness.

The passport authorities, citing this case, had refused to renew Farid’s passport, which expired on January 19. He appealed before the high court, which on April 22 directed the authorities to reconsider his case and issue the passport as he had been cited only as a witness and not as an accused. But the officials refused, saying his request could not be considered as per law.

The high court in its latest order said, “Since the petitioner (Farid) is a young man who has already proved his mettle as a sportsman and as a national and international player, it would be unjust and unfair to deny re-issuance of the passport at this point of time, only because he is named as a witness in a pending criminal case.”

He represented India in Under 15 category in October 2010 in Japan and secured the third place in the Ana Badminton Asia Youth Championship. Farid also represented the country in Under 17 category in the Badminton Asia Youth Championship in Indonesia in October 2013 and secured the third place again.