Justice Nagesh Bheempaka of the Telangana High Court has dismissed a writ petition filed by Akram Ali Mohammed, a journalist from Bahadurpura, Hyderabad, challenging the revocation of his passport.
The petitioner sought to declare the revocation of his passport, issued on July 4, 2018 and valid till July 3, 2028, as illegal and arbitrary, contending that it was based on an Intelligence Department letter dated October 17, 2019 and issued without following principles of natural justice.
Akram Ali stated that he had been a journalist since 2005, running a digital platform and had travelled abroad only once, to Saudi Arabia in 2017 for Umrah. In its counter, the Regional Passport Office said the passport was revoked under Section 10(3)(c) of the Passports Act, 1967 after inputs that the petitioner was likely to engage in activities prejudicial to the sovereignty and integrity of India, and that reasons were later communicated.
The office of the Hyderabad Police Commissioner referred to the petitioner’s past criminal case, in which he was acquitted in 2002, alleged links with ISI operatives, past recovery of arms and explosives, and instances during 2018–2019 where his media activities allegedly aggravated communal tensions.