By IANS,
New Delhi : Delhi High Court Tuesday issued notice to the central government after it failed to comply with the court’s order that directed it to give a personal hearing to VHP leader Sadhvi Ritambhara for renewal of her passport for 10 years.
Ritambhara had wanted her passport to be renewed for 10 years instead of one year as she frequently visits abroad to deliver religious discourses.
Issuing a show-cause notice to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and others, including the Regional Passport Office, Justice Rajiv Shakdher asked a senior official to remain present Nov 21 before the court if its previous order is not complied with.
The court had earlier disposed off Ritambhara’s plea and asked the MEA that treating her petition as representation a reasoned order be passed within four weeks. The court also asked the MEA to give a personal hearing to the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader’s plea.
Ritambhara’s counsel moved a fresh application Tuesday for revival of her petition saying: “So far, she has neither been accorded a personal hearing nor a reasoned order was passed on her representation”.
Ritambhara is facing trial along with others, including BJP leader L.K. Advani, in the Babri masjid demolition case. In her earlier plea, she had said that the Passport Act provides that a person would be issued a passport for 10 years and later and on expiry, it can be renewed or extended for the same period.
But the Regional Passport Office, which initially issued the passport in 1991 to her for 10 years, extended it by one year only on Aug 3, 2009, and in May 2012. Justifying its decision, the MEA had said that it was done due to her involvement in the criminal case.