Srinagar court grants NOC for passport to Farooq, sets conditions

A Srinagar court granted a no-objection certificate for Farooq Abdullah's passport, observing that pending criminal proceedings do not automatically bar travel.

The CBI had objected, fearing Farooq Abdullah might flee the country and evade justice in the Jammu Kashmir Cricket Association case.

The passport was issued for one year, subject to conditions: Farooq Abdullah must seek prior permission from the Srinagar chief judicial magistrate's court before traveling outside Jammu and Kashmir or abroad.

The court rejected the CBI's argument that an MEA notification bars passports for those with pending criminal cases, calling the notification regulatory, not an absolute prohibition.

Farooq Abdullah argued that due to a stay on trial since April 25, he could not obtain an acquittal order, necessitating the NOC.