Chennai: Popular film star and AICC spokesperson Khusbhu Sundar has approached the Madras high court, challenging a communication of the Regional Passport Officer, refusing to renew her passport on the ground a criminal case was pending in Andipatti court, which was originally stayed by the Madurai bench of the Madras high court.
Justice B.Rajendran before whom the petition filed by Khusbhu, came up for hearing, ordered notice to the Regional Passport Officer (Chennai) and posted to next week, further hearing of the case.
According to Khusbhu, from 2009 she joined a prominent party in Tamil Nadu and was also star canvasser as well as platform speaker of the political party. During the general assembly elections held for Tamil Nadu during May 2011, she had canvassed in various constituencies for the said party. While canvassing in Andipatti in Theni district, the state police had foisted a false case against her and others and the same culminated into filing of final report before the judicial magistrate, Andipatti.
She had no knowledge of the registration of the case and in the meanwhile, a non-bailable warrant had been issued by the magistrate against her and therefore she had surrendered before the court and was released on bail during March 2012.
She had also moved the Madurai Bench of the Madras high court, which stayed all further proceedings and her appearance was also dispensed with before the said court. It was only after registering this case and three other cases, she had applied for the earlier passport and she was issued with the passport on March 9, 2012, and since the pages in her Indian passport valid from March 9, 2012 to March 8, 2022, had been completed and to obtain a new passport, she had applied for a new passport.
When she went for interview before the passport seva Kendra in Aminjakarai, she was informed that they received intimation from the Andipatti police about the pendency of a criminal case before the Andipatti court and therefore her passport could not be renewed. When she informed them about the order of the Madurai Bench of Madras high court, they replied that unless she produces any order of court, she will not be permitted to renew the passport and the renewal has been put on hold. Hence, she filed the present petition, she added.
