Minor’s right to hold passport can’t be taken away, says Bombay HC

A minor’s right to obtain a passport and travel abroad cannot be taken away merely due to an ongoing matrimonial dispute between parents, the Bombay High Court has said.

The court in its order passed on Wednesday, a copy of which was made available on Thursday, directed the Pune Regional Passport Office (RPO) to issue a passport to the 17-year-old girl within two



weeks, observing that the right to travel abroad was a facet of the fundamental right guaranteed in the Constitution.

The RPO had issued a communication to the girl’s mother in November 2024, stating that her passport application would not be processed as her father had objected to the same. As per the plea, the girl’s parents are embroiled in divorce proceedings.