A Delhi court has granted a no objection certificate for the renewal of former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s passport for a full ten years, despite opposition from central investigative agencies.
Special Judge Dig Vinay Singh, presiding over the corruption and money laundering cases linked to the Delhi excise policy, issued the order on 4 June. The court clarified that while it has no objection to the renewal, Kejriwal must still obtain formal permission before any international travel, in accordance with his bail conditions.
Kejriwal’s passport expired in 2018. His counsel, Advocate Mudit Jain, argued that the renewal should be for the standard ten-year period, emphasizing that any travel abroad would still require court approval. The court’s order specifies that the NOC is valid for three months, during which Kejriwal can proceed with the renewal process.
The Central Bureau of Investigation formally opposed the ten-year renewal, suggesting a five-year term based on precedents in similar cases. The Enforcement Directorate did not file a formal response but orally recommended against a full ten-year renewal. Judge Singh noted that the court’s decision does not constrain the discretion of passport authorities under the Indian Passports Act and related rules.
The court emphasized that the current order does not grant Kejriwal permission to travel abroad. Any such request must be made separately, and existing bail conditions already mandate court permission for international travel.
Kejriwal is an accused in the Delhi excise policy cases, which are being investigated by the CBI and the ED. The cases involve allegations of corruption and money laundering related to the implementation of the excise policy. The Delhi government implemented the policy on 17 November 2021 and scrapped it by the end of September 2022 amid allegations of corruption.
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