Ex-KCF chief moves HC against denial of passport
Wassan Singh Zaffarwal, the former chief of the Khalistan Commando Force who advocated terror during militancy in Punjab, moved the Punjab and Haryana high court on Thursday challenging the Amritsar passport office’s decision to deny him a passport even though no case was pending against him.
Wassan Singh Zaffarwal, the former chief of the Khalistan Commando Force who advocated terror during militancy in Punjab, moved the Punjab and Haryana high court on Thursday challenging the Amritsar passport office’s decision to deny him a passport even though no case was pending against him.
Taking up his petition, the court headed by justice Ritu Bahri issued notice of motion to the central government and the Gurdaspur SSP for filing their replies by July 1.
Gurdaspur resident Zaffarwal has also challenged the report of the SSP who had not recommended passport facilities to the petitioner stating that a number of FIRs were registered against him.
The petitioner had applied for the passport facility in December 2010 but due to the Gurdaspur SSP’s negative report both the Amritsar passport office and the ministry of external affairs declined his request.
However, the petitioner’s counsel, Bikramjit Singh Bath, informed the court that he had been implicated by the state police in many false cases, including those under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities ( Prevention) Act (TADA). He claimed they wanted to eliminate him (Zaffarwal) but after facing prosecution he was acquitted in all cases much before the submission of the passport application in December 2010. The court was informed that refusal to give a passport amounts to deprivation of personal liberty.