Former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has received court approval to renew his passport for 10 years, despite opposition from the Central Bureau of Investigation and concerns raised by the Enforcement Directorate.
Kejriwal’s passport had expired in 2018. As Chief Minister, he had been using his official passport, but now seeks to renew his regular passport. Since he is an accused in the ongoing Delhi Excise Policy case, a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the court was required for renewal.
On Wednesday, Special Judge Dig Vinay Singh granted Kejriwal the NOC, stating the approval was in accordance with legal procedures.
CBI Opposed 10-Year Renewal
The CBI opposed the plea, arguing that courts handling CBI matters typically permit passport renewals for only five years, not the full 10-year term. They submitted that allowing a longer renewal would deviate from established norms.
The Enforcement Directorate, while not filing a written reply, orally submitted that the passport should not be renewed for a full decade.
Defence
In response, Kejriwal’s counsel urged the court to allow a full 10-year renewal, arguing that regardless of the passport’s validity, Kejriwal would still be legally required to obtain separate court permission before travelling abroad.
“The applicant must, in any case, seek permission to travel abroad, which he shall seek as and when required,” his counsel submitted.
Case Updates
In a parallel development during Wednesday’s hearing in the excise policy case, the court directed the CBI to comply with a prior order issued on May 22, 2025. It also allowed the defence team to inspect digital devices between 10 AM and 5 PM.
The court ordered that any “unrelied” digital devices must be returned after inspection, and that the CBI must include all notices, communications, and other materials in the list of unrelied documents.
The case, in which the CBI has already filed a charge sheet and supplementary charge sheets, has been listed for further hearing on July 25.
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