Udayakumar seeks quashing of order to surrender passport

Madurai: People’s Movement Against Nuclear Energy convenor SP Udayakumar, spearheading the movement against the Kundankulam power project, today sought quashing of the Madurai passport officer’s order asking him to surrender his passport as 98 criminal cases are pending against him. When the petition filed by Udayakumar came up for hearing before Justice K Venkataraman, Centre’s counsel said the PMANE leader’s passport had already been impounded as he had not given explanation to questions about the cases nor had he surrendered the passport as directed. The judge then ordered issue of notice to the passport officer and posted the case to 25 April. [caption id=“attachment_278856” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“Udayakumar in his petition contended that the officer had passed the order on 2 April without any enquiry or notice.”]  [/caption] Udayakumar in his petition contended that the officer had passed the order on 2 April without any enquiry or notice. He also alleged that the Union government was actively involved in a systematic hate campaign against him ever since people in Kudankulam area started their agitation against the nuclear project. He pointed out that as per the act every passport holder should be given an opportunity to be heard within a period of eight weeks, after which central government alone could take action on whether to impound the passport or not. The passport officer had no powers to impound it, he said. Udayakumar had also sent a legal notice to the passport officer. PTI