As per case facts, the Petitioner, Jawahar Rajan, sought renewal of his passport, but it was denied due to a pending criminal case after cognizance was taken by the Judicial ... Magistrate. The Petitioner argued it was a false case and the trial had not commenced. This Writ Petition was referred to a Larger Bench due to conflicting judgments regarding passport renewal for individuals facing criminal proceedings. The question arose whether re-issue/renewal of a passport should be treated the same as a fresh passport regarding Section 6(2)(f) of the Passports Act. Finally, the Court ruled that re-issue/renewal must be treated the same as a fresh passport. The restrictions of Section 6(2)(f) and the exemptions under GSR 570(E) and OM dated 10.10.2019 apply to both. Thus, prior court permission is mandatory for renewal when criminal proceedings are pending, and 'criminal proceedings pending' includes stages from cognizance to finality.