MEA clears air over Tanvi Seth's passport controversy

In a statement, MEA said on Thursday, "Since the passport was issued on a post-PV basis, a police verification was carried out.  The PV report sent to RPO Lucknow was to be based on a decision taken in December 2017 that PV will be undertaken only on two points – whether the applicant is a citizen of India and whether the applicant has any criminal case pending against him or her.   These two aspects were converted in to a six point PV form.  This decision was communicated to the DGPs of all states and UTs to implement the PV norms from 1 June 2018."

The statement added, "In the Tanvi Seth case, there was no adverse report on all six points mentioned in the revised form.  The police officer doing the verification added two comments on his own based on which the PV report was put under adverse category. The first point says that the name of the applicant in the passport form is Tanvi Seth while in her marriage certificate her name is Sadia Anas, and the second was a discrepancy in her address on the ground that her rental address in NOIDA is not mentioned in the PP form by the applicant.

"I will clarify these two points.  On the marriage certificate, under the revised passport application rules, there is no requirement for submission of a marriage certificate at the time of application of passport.  Therefore, the name in the marriage certificate is not relevant to the issue of passport. Second, on the address – Tanvi Seth had submitted her Adhaar Card and a joint bank account as a proof for her name and address which was the same as mentioned in the application form.  Therefore, the issue of passport to Tanvi Seth was found in order based on the existing rules.

"I would like to categorically state that all existing norms were followed during the issue of passport to Ms. Tanvi Seth.  I hope this clarifies the matter and puts to rest all misinformation in this regard."

The incident, which surfaced on Wednesday, involved applicants Mohammad Anas Siddiqui and his wife Tanvi Seth.

The duo had applied for their passports on Jun 19 and took an appointment a day later.

Upon reaching the passport office in Lucknow, the lady was called in first.

Recounting the experience, Siddiqui said that while going through his wife's documents at counter C, the presiding officer made certain offensive comments and asked her to bring back the papers with a changed name.

"My wife’s turn came before me and as soon as she reached counter C5, an officer named Vikas Mishra started to go through her documents. When he read the spouse’s name as Mohd Anas Siddiqui, he started shouting at her and said that she should not have married me. My wife broke into tears, after which Mr Mishra said that she should get all the documents corrected with a changed name,” he told News 18.

The officer, Vikas Mishra, has since been transferred, after secretary of external affairs ministry D M Mulay promised the couple of appropriate action against the perpetrator.