Cheruvathur Chakkutty Thampi vs Union Of India on 24 January, 2017
In so far as impounding of passport is concerned, the Honourable Supreme Court in the case of Suresh Nanda vs. CBI mentioned supra, has held that the police may not have power under Section 102 (1) of Code of Civil Procedure to seize a passport or to impound the same. It was further held that impounding of a passport can only be done by the Passport Authority under Section 10 (3) of the Passports Act, 1967. The Honourable Supreme Court has also laid down a distinction and difference between seizing a document and impounding a passport by holding that a seizure is made at a particular moment when a person or authority takes into his possession some property which was earlier not in his possession. However, if after seizing of a property or document the said property or document is retained for some period of time, then such retention amounts to impounding of the property or document. In that case, the Honourable Supreme Court held that the detention of passport by the CBI is held to be illegal and impounding and revoking the passport under Section 10 of the Passport Act is illegal. It was further held that as per Section 104 of Cr.P.C., a 'document' does not include a passport. In the present case, it is not the case of the respondents that they have taken necessary steps under Section 10 of the Passports Act to impound the passport Act and therefore, the mere detention of the passport of the petitioner at the airpott without following the provisions contained under Section 10 of the Passport Act and issuing the look out circular without issuing prior notice are not legally sustainable.