HC orders status quo over KTR’s notice of move to confiscate passport

The Telangana High Court on Tuesday (October 27) issued a status quo order to the regional passport authority that had issued Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president and former minister KT Rama Rao his passport impoundment in a Formula E race case being investigated by the Anti-Corruption Bureau.

Justice EV Venugopal, after hearing arguments in a writ petition filed by KTR to stay the proceedings initiated by the passport authorities of the Union government to impound his passport, issued notices to the Ministry of External Affairs, Regional Passport Officer Hyderabad and Director General ACB. The matter was adjourned to November 6 for further hearing.

Senior counsel Gandra Mohan Rao, appearing for KTR, said the impoundment notice issued by the passport authorities was part of a pre-arranged plan. He informed the bench that the ACB has already filed a charge sheet in the Formula E race case which it is investigating. The judge sought to know from the ACB’s standing counsel why the ACB decided to inform Passport officials about the pending criminal case against KTR when a charge sheet had already been filed in the case.

The judge also asked the ACB’s standing counsel whether the ACB officials had filed a report in the trial court to impound KTR’s passport. The standing counsel informed the court that he would secure directions in the matter, but insisted that details of the pending case against KTR had been handed over to the passport authorities in accordance with the provisions of the Act.

Additional Solicitor General of India for Telangana B. Narasimha Sharma informed the court that only a show cause notice was issued to KTR as to why his passport should not be impounded against the background of the case being investigated by the ACB. He informed the bench that KTR has the right to appear before the authorities and explain its stand. No warrant was issued to confiscate the passport, he clarified.

The issuance of a passport impoundment notice can be challenged under the provisions of the Passport Act, he told the bench. The judge ordered the lawyers to submit written submissions, if any, further in the matter before adjourning the hearing to November 6.

Published – 27 Oct 2026 21:17 IST