BENGALURU: To ensure that a Bangalorean who recently became a US citizen got on board a special flight for American nationals leaving the Kempegowda International Airport on Thursday, the Regional Passport Office in the city processed his documents in record time.
RS Mani had come to India from San Francisco to visit his ailing mother and could not get back after all flights were cancelled due to the nationwide lockdown.
Mani, a software professional, gave up his Indian passport and a "surrender certificate' was issued within a single day, paving the way for him to return to the US.
Regional Passport Officer Bharath Kumar Kuthati told The New Indian Express, "We were working with 33 percent staff attendance on Monday as mandated by the Centre. In-house work was being done and the office was not open to the public."
As an emergency, Mani requested help to reach his home in San Francisco, where he has been living for many years. His mother lives in Whitefield.
Mani got US citizenship in February this year. Dual citizenship is not accepted and he had to surrender his Indian identity documents so that he could be taken on the flight meant for US nationals. "With COVID-19 taking a heavy toll in the US, he was very keen to be with his family at this juncture," Kuthati said.
"He came to our office on Monday and we ensured he had all the documents on hand the same day itself," Khutati said, adding, "We did it as a special move to help him urgently. He is all set to leave by the evacuation flight tomorrow."
The passport office has been completely shut since Tuesday in light of the curfew order issued by the Police Commissioner.
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