Medha Patkar surrenders passport amid row over pending cases

MUMBAI: Narmada Bachao Andolan activist Medha Patkar surrendered her passport to the regional passport office in Mumbai on Tuesday. The authorities will determine whether to return or impound it based on her reply to the allegations that she didn’t disclose cases pending against her.
On October 18, the Mumbai RPO had issued Patkar a showcause notice asking why her passport should not be impounded for not having disclosed pending cases against her.The notice followed a complaint by a journalist who said Patkar had obtained her passport by “concealing” material facts from the RPO.

A passport official said: “We have not impounded her passport. We had sought details of the cases pending in court from the director general of MP Police who responded that a chargesheet has been submitted in at least five cases. We then sought Patkar’s reply and she has sought more time to respond. In case she fails to provide the required details, we will impound her passport.” The official said no deadline has been set for her reply.
Patkar told TOI, “It is not as if I knowingly concealed facts. They have furnished two separate lists of cases filed against me. But most of these are old matters. I have sought 45 days to obtain the certified copies from local police stations. I have requested the RPO for a copy of my original application also which they have declined.”
The RPO notice said nine criminal cases registered against her in MP were pending adjudication. Most pertained to rioting and obstructing government servants from carrying out their duty.
Patkar told TOI at the time, “I sent a reply saying that at the time of application, there was no case pending. After I sent the reply, they sent another notice giving me 15 days to produce documentary evidence. I have documents of some of the cases but not all.” She had said all the cases were filed during NBA agitation which began in 1985. “These were not cases against me alone but against a large group. I do not even remember appearing in Khandwa.”