Kolkata police review former Telegraph editor's passport case after renewal delay
text_fields
Kolkata Police has sought details of former The Telegraph editor R Rajagopal's passport application after he alleged that its renewal was delayed following the deletion of his name from West Bengal's electoral rolls during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR).
Additional Commissioner of Police (Special Branch) Dhrubajyoti De said the matter would be resolved as quickly as possible. He said there had been an issue involving the deletion of names from the electoral roll at Rajagopal's address.
"Voter ID card may be asked for verification, and the absence of the voter ID card may raise a question, but it is not the definitive document for local enquiry for passports. I hope to get it resolved today itself. If it is found okay, another report will be sent to the Regional Passport Office," De said.
Rajagopal said he was called for police verification in April and was asked to produce his voter ID card. He informed officials that his name had been deleted from the electoral roll on March 27. He said he later missed his daughter's wedding in the United States because he did not have a valid passport. He has been asked to appear before the Regional Passport Office on July 17.
The Editors Guild of India condemned the delay in renewing Rajagopal's passport.
The issue also drew political reactions.
Kerala Chief Minister V D Satheesan wrote to West Bengal Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, seeking his intervention. Satheesan said the adverse police report had delayed the passport renewal process and urged that the matter be addressed urgently.
Former Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan described the refusal to renew Rajagopal's passport as "shocking" and said citizenship should not be determined on the basis of the Special Intensive Revision process.
Citizen group "Wake Up Keralam" also expressed concern, saying the case exposed the vulnerability of ordinary citizens and called for judicial and administrative intervention to protect voting and travel rights.