Narmada Bachao Andolan leader Medha Patkar, who was censored by the Supreme Court in 2011 for filing false affidavit, has been found guilty of suppressing vital information in her passport application. The Regional Passport Office (RPO), Mumbai has impounded her passport on failing to meet the deadline to prove that no criminal cases are pending against her.
In her passport application dated March 30, 2017 claimed that no criminal cases are pending against her.
Earlier in June 2019, a journalist filed a complaint to RPO (Mumbai) against Patkar alleging that she obtained passport by concealing and suppressing the facts of various pending criminal cases against her. The complainant also provided the details of 9 criminal cases pending against her in various districts of Madhya Pradesh.
Patkar conceded to 'suppressing of critical information' in her Passport application dated 30.03.2017, where in a column of pending criminal cases, if any, she declared "None."
Based on the complaint, the RPO, Mumbai issued a notice on October 18, 2019 to Patkar stating that " While obtaining passport bearing number . dated 30.03.2017, you have not disclosed the facts regarding pendency of above cases and obtained passport by suppression of material information".
The notice further said, "In view of the same it is proposed to impound your passport and any other passport/s, if issued, subsequently of the Passport Act 1967. You are also requested to state why action should not be taken under section 12(1) of Passports Act 1967, Section 10(3)(e) and 12(1)(b) read with Section 10(3) which states that Rs the passport authority may impound or cause to be impounded or revoke a passport or travel document if proceedings in respect of an offence is found pending against the holder."
Patkar surrendered the passport on December 9 to Passport Officer, Mumbai. The passp[ort officer has now impounded her passport.
The National Council for Civil Liberties (NCCL) President VK Saxena, who is currently Chairman of Khadi and Village industries Commission (KVIC), on November 11 had also lodged a complaint to the RPO Mumbai stating that two more criminal cases are pending against Patkar in the court of Metropolitan Magistrate Delhi. Saxena had filed the cases in 2001 and 2006 against her.
, "Patkar is a mistress of lies. She lied to the people of Narmada, misinformed the US Senate Sub-Committee and represented untruthfully at Supreme Court. Now she conceals her cases of criminality in her passport application. Is she planning to run away from justice to a foreign land?" Saxena said.
The RPO Mumbai also sought details of pending cases from the Director General of Police, Madhya Pradesh, who has also confirmed RPO that charge-sheet has been filed against her in five cases.
The RPO is planning initiate action against her under Section 12(b) of the Passport Act which clearly says that "knowingly furnishes any false information or suppresses any material information with a view to obtaining a passport or travel document under this act 12(e) shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years or with fine which may extend to Rs 5000 or with both."
