Post-Aftab, city passport office cautious

PATNA: Once bitten, twice shy. After the infamous issuance of a passport to Aftab Ansari, the main accused in the bomb attack on the American Center in Kolkata, on the basis of papers forged in Nalanda, the Patna passport office has become wiser, and more alert.
Much before 7/11 suspects' links were traced to Bihar districts, the Patna passport office withheld 14 applications.These applications from Darbhanga were sent back to the Darbhanga police, who confirmed the documents were forged. An FIR has been lodged in this connection with the Bishnupur police station in Darbhanga district.
Sources said the authorities stumbled upon the fake documents during a routine check. "There were discrepancies in signatures on the documents," passport officer R N Rai said.
The passport office has of late been exercising utmost caution while scrutinising police verification report and the SP offices have been requested to furnish a list of authorised signatories who sign the reports.
Also, sources said, a black list of such fraudsters is prepared on a regular basis under the Passport Act, 1967. These names enter the 'Prior Approval Category List' and sent to passport offices, embassies and check-posts across the country. "Unless they convincingly reply to our showcause, they can't be issued a passport from anywhere in the country," a source told TOI.
Asked about the delay in issuance of passports to individuals, the sources said the time factor depends much on the police process to verify details. "At the moment, we have no backlogs." Rai said, adding the Patna office has been issuing around 400 passports as against the 400 to 500 applications it receives everyday.
The Patna office issued around 80,000 passports last year, and targets to increase the number this year. Applications that reached the office between June 6 and 21 are currently under process for issuance of passports this week. "We take ten working days to issue a passport after the police verification report comes to us," Rai said.
In case of re-issuance of a passport, 15 to 20 days is the time that the Patna office takes as it relies on the old police verification report. If a lapse is found later, a showcause is issued and action taken.
"Touts just fool you and extract money. They play no role in expediting the process," Rai said.
Meanwhile, after its 2002 move to allow submission of applications for passports in districts, the passport office is making arrangements for submission of passport forms in post offices.