JC Suneja appealed to the Delhi High Court, claiming that the impounding of his passport by the police was illegal. Whatever the charge, Justice Ashutosh Kumar directed the police on May 24 to release the passport because impounding was beyond the jurisdiction of the police.

The police maintained that they have not done anything inappropriate and will release the passport, but have filed a charge sheet against him.

The allegation that the police has brought against the petitioner (Suneja) is that of forging bar code stickers of an alcohol consignment. Suneja’s contention was that the police do not have the authority to impound a passport. The police can only seize the passport and then they have to hand it over to the regional passport office.

Therefore, said the petition, this act of the police is in gross violation of the petitioner’s fundamental rights under Article 21.

— India Legal Bureau