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What is show cause notice in passport office, please advise what to do


04-Jul-2024 (In Civil Law)
I have received a show cause notice from the passport office, claiming that I suppressed material information in my application. The notice states that I need to submit documents, but it does not specify which ones. I had an adverse police verification report. How should I respond to the notice? The notice does not ask me to visit the passport office in person; they have only asked for a suitable explanation for the passport show cause notice.
Answers (6)

Reply promptly in writing within the notice deadline, but in that reply formally request specific particulars of the alleged suppression and certified copies of the documents relied upon, ask for a reasonable extension and an opportunity to be heard (in person or by video) and send all communications by registered post/acknowledgement and email while preserving proof, and if the authority proceeds without particulars or ignores your reply, challenge the action by writ; the Passports Act requires reasons to be recorded and furnished on demand (s.10(5)). [https://www.indiacode.nic.in/handle/123456789/1372] The Supreme Court's Maneka Gandhi principle requires fair procedure and intelligible reasons in passport matters. [https://www.courtkutchehry.com/judgements/650124/mrs-maneka-gandhi-vs-union-of-india-uoi-and-another/] High Courts have quashed vague show-cause notices that failed to give particulars (see Konda Prabhakar Rao v. State of Jharkhand; Kamal Kumar Narottam Dash Parekh v. RPO). [https://indiankanoon.org/doc/124757687/] [https://www.casemine.com/judgement/in/56096204e4b01497112d178e] Note the limited caveat that authorities need not disclose unrelated investigative material not relied upon in the notice (Price Waterhouse v. SEBI). [https://indiankanoon.org/doc/34600373/]

Answer #1
64 votes

A passport Show Cause Notice (SCN) is a formal notice issued by the Passport Office, usually due to an adverse or incomplete police verification report, or a potential violation of the Passports Act, 1967. It gives the applicant an opportunity to explain their situation before any action is taken.

The applicant is generally given a timeframe of around two weeks to respond. The Regional Passport Officer (RPO) then reviews the reply and typically makes a decision within four weeks. Penalties for violations can include fines, imprisonment, or both, depending on the severity of the offense.

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Advocate Chikirsha Mohanty

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Answer #2
879 votes
You can visit the regional passport office with the show cause notice from the passport office to seek clarification on the documents required to process your application further. The passport officer can guide you regarding the passport show cause notice PVR review and the steps needed to resolve it. Please carry all relevant documents that were originally attached to your passport application. Additionally, a passport show cause notice penalty may be imposed for providing incorrect or incomplete information.
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Avocate Jaskirat Singh

Avocate Jaskirat Singh

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Answer #3
828 votes
You should first ask the passport office for clarification regarding the specific information they believe was suppressed. If this was due to an adverse police verification report, you may need to submit supporting documents to prove the correctness of your details. Once you receive a response, you can proceed accordingly to show cause notice for passport police verification.
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Advocate Shobhit Bhatia

Adv. Shobhit Bhatia

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Answer #4
572 votes
As a responsible applicant, you should submit a detailed reply along with all necessary documents, such as your address proof, identity proof, and any other records relevant to the passport show cause notice PVR review. If you share the exact details of your application and notice, I can help you draft a proper response to the passport show cause notice.
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Advocate Shio Shankar Kumar

Adv. Shio Shankar Kumar

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Answer #5
626 votes
Don’t worry too much about the show cause notice for passport police verification. Firstly, respond to the notice with a polite and apologetic explanation of your situation. Secondly, request a list of the missing or incorrect information that led to the passport show cause notice. If there is already an adverse police verification report, visit the Regional Passport Office (RPO) to resolve the issue. In most cases, upon your request and by paying a passport show cause notice penalty (which can go up to ₹5,000), the issue can be resolved, and you may reapply for a fresh passport. Providing a detailed explanation can help reduce or even eliminate the penalty.
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Advocate Twinkle Kataria

Adv. Twinkle Kataria

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Answer #6
566 votes
Send a formal reply to the passport office, requesting details about the documents required and the specific grounds on which the adverse police verification report was issued. If necessary, you can file a writ petition to challenge the findings of the show cause notice passport penalty.
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Advocate Vinay Tyagi

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