New Delhi, Dec 17 (IANS): Delhi L-G V K Saxena on Sunday approved the prosecution of 11 persons including agents and others accused in the cases of obtaining passports and travel documents by furnishing forged documents under Passports Act, 1967.

The Raj Bhavan officials said that the L-G has granted prosecution sanction of a total of 69 persons, whose names have figured in 46 FIRs under the said Act that came before him since April, 2023 till now.

The official said that the while going through these cases in which sanction for prosecution was sought by the Home Department under Section 15 of the Passports Act for the offences enlisted in Section 12 of the Act for obtaining passports and travel documents like Visa etc. on the basis of false, fabricated and forged documents, the L-G expressed concern that the agents who are co-accused and more often than not, kingpins of racket that take innocent people for a ride, remain untraced.

"While dealing with these six cases, the L-G was informed that eight agents involved have not been traced as of yet," the official said.

He said that earlier, 40 FIRs in which prosecution sanction were granted had come to the L-G between April to November, 2023.

In the instant six cases, in which separate FIRs were lodged by Delhi Police between 2007 to 2019, the L-G has expressed displeasure over delays and pointed out that in one such case, in which FIR was lodged on May 12, 2007, the file has been submitted for his consideration on November 30 this year, after a lapse of more than 16 years, the official pointed out.

He said that to avoid undue delays in processing such cases, instructions had been issued earlier, which were not being followed by the Delhi Police as well as Home Department, and there had been inordinate delay in processing and submission of cases for seeking prosecution sanction.

The L-G has also directed the Delhi government’s Home Department and Delhi Police to strictly adhere to the instructions and also examine the delay in the matter and fix responsibility of erring officers or officials.

The official said that the Delhi Police may be advised to intensify its efforts to identify and trace the co- accused/agents involved in these cases, to examine their culpability and expeditiously process the matters under the Passports Act.

The official said that giving his approval for prosecuting the 11 accused, the L-G noted that all the cases are ‘fit’ for granting prosecution sanction under Section 15 of the Act as materials placed on record and facts of each cases prima facie makes out case against accused persons.

The L-G in one such case also ordered that Delhi Police be advised to examine the culpability of staff of RPO Mumbai as well as officials concerned of Maharashtra Police, which facilitated issuance of two passports to the accused at Mumbai.

He said that the L-G since April 1 to November 30 has given sanction for prosecution in 40 FIRs involving 52 passengers, who were found to be in possession of passports and travel documents based on false, fabricated and forged documents.

“Besides 52 passengers, sanction for prosecution was granted against six agents. It has been found that 17 agents are untraceable,” the official said.