https://www.taxtmi.com/caselaws?id=282786 A passport may be seized during criminal investigation, but impounding is a distinct power that belongs only to the competent passport authority under the Passports Act, 1967. The special statutory regime prevails over the general procedure under the Code of Criminal Procedure, so Customs authorities and the criminal court cannot retain a passport by treating it as impounded. Because impounding affects the constitutional right to travel and carries civil consequences, it must follow the procedure prescribed by law. An attested copy may be kept for evidentiary purposes while the original is returned subject to conditions. en-us Mon, 26 Nov 2012 00:00:00 +0530 Fri, 23 Aug 2019 18:12:43 +0530 TaxTMI RSS Generator https://www.taxtmi.com/caselaws?id=282786 A passport may be seized during criminal investigation, but impounding is a distinct power that belongs only to the competent passport authority under the Passports Act, 1967. The special statutory regime prevails over the general procedure under the Code of Criminal Procedure, so Customs authorities and the criminal court cannot retain a passport by treating it as impounded. Because impounding affects the constitutional right to travel and carries civil consequences, it must follow the procedure prescribed by law. An attested copy may be kept for evidentiary purposes while the original is returned subject to conditions. Case-Laws Customs Mon, 26 Nov 2012 00:00:00 +0530 https://www.taxtmi.com/caselaws?id=282786