Senior journalist Rajagopal’s passport sent for renewal, say Kolkata Police: Report

The development came after Kolkata Police reportedly submitted a new report pertaining to the passport renewal.

Kerala CM intervenes

The police confirmation follows Kerala Chief Minister VD Satheesan’s letter to his Bengal counterpart Suvendu Adhikari, seeking the latter’s intervention in the issue after the journalist’s passport renewal application was held up following an adverse police verification report.

Also read: Rajagopal passport row: Kerala CM seeks Bengal govt intervention after SIR-linked delay

Rajagopal, a former editor of Kolkata-based daily The Telegraph, had said that his passport verification was held up due to an adverse police verification report stemming from the deletion of his name from the electoral roll following the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in West Bengal.

“I understand that the adverse report is based on the deletion of his (Rajagopal’s) name from the electoral roll under the SIR. While the electoral issue is being dealt with through an appropriate appeal process, I am informed that the police report has had the effect of delaying the renewal process of his passport. I would like to request your good self to kindly look into the matter with urgency,’’ Satheesan wrote in the letter.

Police reach out to Rajagopal

On Tuesday (June 30), the Special Branch of Kolkata Police had sought details of the passport application of the senior journalist.

In an interaction with Indian Express, Additional Commissioner of Police (Special Branch), Dhrubajyoti De had said that he will try to resolve the issue at the earliest and a fresh report will be sent if all required documents are in place.

“There was some issue of deletion of names of voters on the same address (Rajagopal’s address). I have sought the details of the file. Voter ID card may be asked for verification, and the absence of the voter ID card may raise a question, but it is not the definitive document for local enquiry for passports. I hope to get it resolved today itself. If it is found okay, another report will be sent to RPO (Regional Passport Office),” Indian Express quoted him as saying.

Name struck off electoral roll

Rajagopalan's revelation that his passport renewal had been denied because his name was missing from the voter list had sparked a nationwide debate. In a note, the senior journalist had said that after the SIR exercise, his name had been removed from the West Bengal electoral roll, making it impossible to renew his passport. He also stated that there had been no further action on his application to have his name restored to the voter list.

Also read: What if SIR deletes your name? Telegraph ex-editor pens note on life in ‘civic uncertainty’

He said although he completed his biometric formalities on March 19, police verification was still pending as his name doesn’t appear on the electoral roll.

"If someone who spent his professional life in journalism and edited a relatively known newspaper can encounter such difficulties, one can only imagine what the truly marginalised must endure," he wrote.

The Opposition in Bengal comprising the TMC, Congress and CPI(M) hit out at the Centre over the issue, calling it an erosion of basic rights of a citizen.