Staff Correspondent
Port Blair, April 11: At a time when the PBMC delegation heading abroad for a workshop in Spain may be packing bags, all plans of one elected Councillor in the group has landed in rough weathers over allegation of violation of Indian Passport rules. In a complaint to the Chief Secretary, Police and Anti-Corruption Unit, N Srinivasan, a resident of Shadipur claimed that the Councillor of Ward no. 15, CH Babu violated the Passport rules by not furnishing details of pending criminal cases against him in the Court of Law.
In the complaint, Srinivasan said that CH Babu along with some other Councillors and two officials have been deputed on a Smart City Executive Training scheduled to be held at Bilbao, Spain from April 18-22, 2016. An approximate expenditure of 4.80 lakh per person will be incurred for the tour. But the Councillor, who has pending criminal cases against him, obtained an Indian Passport under Tatkal scheme without furnishing the details of the criminal cases as also the requisite undertaking to the Passport Office, he alleged.
“As per the existing rules, an Indian Citizen having pending criminal cases in Court need to furnish an undertaking to the Passport Office while applying for Passport to travel abroad. Even the permission from the Court is necessary for the applicant to travel abroad on Indian Passport. A criminal case under section 450/395/189/34 IPC was registered against CH Babu at PS Aberdeen under FIR No. 138/12 dated 14-04-2012. The chargesheeted was submitted to the Court vide nos. 275/12 on 25/12/2012. The trial of the case is currently underway in the Court here,” claimed the complainant demanding an investigation to ascertain the facts in the matter and prevent the Councillor with pending criminal cases from flying abroad.
However, talking to Andaman Sheekha C H Babu, Councillor of Ward no. 15 clarified that all cases are minor in nature and there is no serious criminal case against him. “The allegations are totally false. As a politician we have many opponents who might have done something against me. If they want me to go I shall go or else I drop the plan, what’s the big deal,” he added.
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