HC: Husband's consent not needed for passport

A woman does not need her husband's consent and signature to apply for a passport, and insisting on the same is an instance of "male supremacism," the Madras high court said, disposing of a petition filed by a woman who sought directions to authorities to issue her a fresh passport.

- Ayesha Arvind

BENGALURU:

Saying that the insistence by the Regional Passport Office (RPO) that the woman get her estranged husband's permission for issuance of a passport was "shocking," the bench of Justice N Anand Venkatesh said it shows the "mindset of the society in treating women who are married as if they are chattel belonging to the husband."

The woman, Revathy, moved the court saying that she applied for a passport in April, but her application was not processed and the petitioner was informed that she must obtain the signature of her husband in Form-J and only thereafter, the application will be processed by the Chennai RPO.