Passport retention as a bail condition was relaxed, with foreign travel still subject to prior court permission.

Bail conditions requiring surrender and retention of a passport may be relaxed where the accused has complied with the conditions and cooperated with proceedings. Continued retention was treated as unnecessary in view of the applicant's business travel needs, while foreign travel remained subject to prior permission from the competent criminal court. The court noted that impounding of a passport is governed by the Passports Act, 1967, and modified the condition accordingly by directing release of the passport with prior permission required for travel abroad.

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Issues: Whether the bail condition requiring surrender and retention of the petitioner's passport should be modified and the passport released, subject to permission for foreign from the competent court.

Analysis: The applicant had complied with the bail conditions and had cooperated with the proceedings. The continued retention of the passport was not treated as necessary, particularly when the applicant's travel needs for business were shown and the governing principle recognised that impounding of a passport is regulated by the Passports Act, 1967. The restraint on travel was therefore capable of being relaxed by a modified condition, while still preserving judicial control over foreign travel through prior permission from the competent criminal court.

Conclusion: The passport condition was modified and the passport was directed to be released to the petitioner, with prior permission of the learned Chief Metropolitan Magistrate required for travel abroad.

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