india

Updated: Jun 26, 2018 22:22 IST

The controversy over the issue of passports to an inter-faith couple in Uttar Pradesh took a surprise turn on Tuesday after the Luknow police’s verification report on the wife, Tanvi Seth, said she had not been staying at her Lucknow address for the past year.

The adverse report could result in her passport being cancelled, legal experts said.

Seth or her husband were not immediately available for comment.

After Seth claimed she was harassed by a passport department official for being married to a Muslim, the external affairs ministry intervened, the officer was transferred, and she and her husband were issued passports (she was given a fresh one and her husband’s was renewed).

While issuing these on June 21, the Regional Passport Office (RPO) requested the local police for routine verification. The verification in the matter was done by Local Intelligence Unit (LIU) and Qaiserbagh police.

“In our verification it has been found that Tanvi Seth was not living at the Lucknow address which she has mentioned in the passport form. It was further known that she has been living in Noida. We have mentioned these findings in our report to the RPO,” said senior superintendent of police (SSP) of Lucknow Deepak Kumar.

According to him, a person should be living for at least a year at the address furnished to get a passport.

The findings may create problems for the couple. According to passport officials, the police report can lead to a passport revocation order.

“Any anomaly mentioned in the adverse verification report can be used to invoke a revocation order,” said a senior passport official on condition of anonymity. “I have heard about the adverse verification report in the Tanvi Seth passport case. We will examine the report and take required action,” said Peeyush Verma, regional passport officer, Lucknow.

“Furnishing false information in passport form to seek a passport is a grave offence under Passport Act. Now, when Lucknow police have submitted report to the passport office confirming that Tanvi had provided incorrect information, action must be taken against her,” said IB Singh, a senior lawyer working at the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court.

The couple, Seth and her husband Anas Siddique, who appeared for a personal interview at passport seva kendra at Ratan Square on May 20, claimed to have been harassed by passport official Vikas Mishra.

He verbally harassed Seth for marrying a Muslim man, she claimed. Mishra has consistently denied this and said he was just doing his job.

Based on Seth’s complaints, Mishra was transferred.