Jose Augustin vs The Passport Officer

A.M. Shaffique, J.—Petitioner has approached this Court for a direction to the respondent to consider his application for correction of date of birth in the passport. In the passport, his date of birth is shown as 05/02/1959. The passport is valid from 11/08/2004 to 10/08/2014. According to the petitioner, as per the date of birth in the Secondary School Leaving Certificate, his date of birth is shown as 05/04/1963. It is stated that, this mistake has crept in at the instance of the agent who submitted the application for issuance of the passport.

The law is well settled. The Passport Officer has the authority to correct the date of birth in the passport relying upon school records. A Division Bench of this Court in Swapna Siju Vs. Union of India and Another, has held so. Under these circumstances, it is for the respondent to consider whether the entry in the date of birth of the petitioner in the passport is on account of a mistake. If so, it is open for the Passport Officer to rely upon Ext.P3 Secondary School Leaving Certificate to make necessary correction.

In the above circumstances, the writ petition is disposed of directing the respondent to consider the application submitted by the petitioner for correction of date of birth in his passport after conducting necessary enquiry and pass appropriate orders in the matter.