Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Tuesday came down heavily on the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) for refusing to process an exit permit for a US national, despite a valid court order granting him permission to travel abroad.
Justice N.J. Jamadar observed that once a judicial order is in force, authorities are bound to comply with it and cannot cite objections raised by investigating agencies to deny relief. The Court made it clear that such actions effectively undermine the authority of judicial orders.
“The FRRO was therefore not at all justified in refusing to process the application further on the ground that the Investigating Agency has raised the objection,” the Court stated, as reported by Bar and Bench.
Details On The Case
The case pertains to James Leonard Watson, who is facing trial in Maharashtra over allegations of attempted religious conversion during a prayer meeting in Bhiwandi. He has been booked under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with charges under the Maharashtra Black Magic Act, 2013, and the Foreigners Act, 1946 for alleged visa violations.
A Thane sessions court had granted Watson bail in October 2025, with the condition that he could not leave India without prior court approval. In February 2026, the same court permitted him to travel to the United States between March 9 and April 18 after his mother was diagnosed with breast cancer.
Following this, Watson applied to the FRRO for an exit permit. However, on March 10, he was informed that his application would not be processed due to objections raised by the investigating agency. Challenging this decision before the High Court, Watson argued that the refusal effectively nullified the sessions court’s order and was patently illegal.
The State opposed the plea, citing the seriousness of the charges and informing the Court that it had separately challenged the sessions court’s travel permission order.
However, according to the report, Justice Jamadar limited the scope of the hearing to the legality of the FRRO’s refusal. The Court emphasised that a judicial order “cannot be denuded of its meaning” through indirect administrative action and must be respected unless set aside by a higher court.
The judge further noted that if the investigating agency was aggrieved, it should have challenged the order in a timely manner instead of obstructing its implementation.
The Court ultimately directed the FRRO to process Watson’s exit permit application within two days, reinforcing the primacy of judicial orders over administrative objections.
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