The Allahabad High Court granted relief to BBC journalist Mohammad Seraj Ali, who was denied a passport NOC for reporting on a mosque demolition. His article was published while he was working with the news portal, The Wire.
The Allahabad High Court provided relief to Mohammad Seraj Ali, a BBC journalist named in a first information report (FIR) concerning his coverage of a mosque demolition in Barabanki.
This incident led to the seizure of his passport and imposed travel restrictions.
Seraj filed a petition contesting two orders one from May 5, 2025, and another from August 21, 2023 issued by Barabanki courts that denied his request for a no objection certificate (NOC) necessary for passport issuance or renewal.
Upon reviewing the case and referencing the judgment in Mohammad Ayaz v. State of UP, Justice Abdul Moin noted that the trial court’s refusal of Seraj’s NOC request, without considering relevant office memorandums from October 10, 2019, and August 25, 1993, demonstrated a lack of proper judicial consideration.
As a result, the Court cancelled the orders from the trial court.
The Court further provided several directions:
- Seraj may submit a new application for passport renewal or re-issue to the Regional Passport Officer within 20 days.
- Upon receipt, the Passport Authority must make a decision on the application within one month, following verification and procedural requirements, based on the certified copy of this order.
- Prior approval must be obtained from the trial court for any travel abroad, and the applicant must comply with the court’s schedule and conditions.
Additionally, the Court ordered that a copy of the ruling be sent to the Deputy Solicitor General of India and the State’s Additional Government Advocate for communication to relevant authorities.
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Seraj’s report was published while he was working with the news portal, The Wire. On May 17, 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the district administration demolished a mosque in Ram Sanehi Ghat, Barabanki, claiming it was an illegal structure. The following day, several national and international media outlets, including BBC Hindi, The Guardian, and ANI, reported on the event.
The Wire, On June 22, 2021, released a video report titled, “How a Mosque in UP’s Barabanki was Demolished,” co-authored by Seraj and his colleague Mukul Singh Chauhan. An FIR was filed against several individuals, including Seraj, on June 24, 2021, under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
In September 2021, Seraj left The Wire to join BBC India as a video journalist. On May 22, 2022, a charge sheet was filed against him, and the trial court acknowledged the case.
Seraj, who had reported the pending criminal matter, applied for passport renewal on September 30, 2022, as it was set to expire in April 2023.
However, the Regional Passport Office required an NOC or a judicial order from the trial court, which was subsequently denied, prompting his appeal to the High Court.
Before the High Court, Seraj’s counsel contended that the NOC was unfairly denied because the trial court overlooked essential government guidelines from two office memorandums regarding the handling of NOCs even when criminal cases are pending. The argument referenced the recent ruling in Mohammad Ayaz @ Anas v. State of UP, where a similar rejection was set-aside for failing to consider the office memorandums.
Taking the circumstances into account, the Court quashed the lower court’s decisions and granted relief to Seraj.
Advocates Areeb Uddin Ahmed, Arpit Verma, and Waseeq Uddin Ahmed represented Seraj, while Senior Advocate SB Pandey appeared for the State.
Case Title: Syed Mohammad Seraj Ali Vs. State
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