Criminal Antecedents Of Family Members Can't Be Taken Into Account To Assess Applicant's Character For Issuing Passport: MP High Court

The Madhya Pradesh High Court ruled that criminal antecedents of family members cannot be considered when assessing an applicant’s character for issuing a passport. The court held that the petitioner’s fundamental rights were violated when her passport application was rejected due to her husband and father-in-law’s criminal records. The court emphasized that the character verification for passport issuance should be based solely on the applicant’s character and not on the criminal background of their family members. The court quashed the impugned order and directed the respondents to reassess the petitioner’s application without considering her family members’ criminal records. This ruling reinforces the principle that an individual’s rights should not be prejudiced by the actions of their relatives.