[Resolved]  Regional Passport Office, Kolkata — Misbehavior, Harassment and Humiliation

Sub: Harassment and Humiliation by Counter Official in the Regional Passport Office.


Sir,


This is to bring to your kind notice about the following facts:


I, with my wife personally went to renew our old passports (Nos A0481699 and A0481698) and queued at the counter no. 7 of your regional office at Brabourn Road, Kolkata on 14-8-07. The person in the counter asked me whether the photos pasted were from digital camera. I confessed that it was indeed taken from digital camera in the studio. He immediately rejected my application on that ground and asked me to paste photograph from a negative only. I politely asked him about the technical reason. He became so furious that first asked my profession, then insulted on my profession and then replied that it was as per law and the problem of scanning the photograph. In front of all others he busted on me. Then he also rejected my wife's passport renewal application on the ground that there was no individual address proof for her. I still politely asked him that my wife is a typical housewife staying with me and my address proof that was submitted could he considered as the address proof. He even became more furious and threatened me to cancel my application if I insist for deposit and I would face harassment as well as loss of another Rs.1000. One experienced person in the queue advised me not to ask a question or argue with this person other wise it would be a difficult experience. I left the counter taking back my forms wasting a day and a casual leave.


On 17-8-07, I came again with changed photographs taken from negative and also a certificate from the bank as proof of my wife's recorded address. Since my wife suddenly fell sick and could not accompany me, I took a blank paper signed by her for any need. At first I deposited my son's passport application in counter no 3 standing for 2 hours - then I again stood on the queue at counter no. 7 for renewal of our old passports. Mean while, I left the queue for 10-15 minutes for talking to one of my students whom I met there. When I came to the counter, the same person who was there in the counter on 14-8-07 found me and charged at me that I was not in the queue and he had not seen me in the during last half an hour and would reject my application. He told me that he would simply cancel my applications with full authority. But when the others in the queue certified that I was really in the queue, he reluctantly received my applications but thrown away the same saying that it did not contain any documents. When I informed that our applications are stapled with all the documents except the original passports he again took but started abusing me on my profession referring to earlier days remarks. After he took my entire file checking all originals, he again returned my papers and documents carelessly saying that my wife need to come personally or give authorization to me. I told him that he had already seen my wife three days back when she came to deposit the applications along with me. But he threw the documents saying "come with wife's authorization letter". As a consequence, the passport fees of Rs 2000 which was within the original passport, fell down the ground without my notice. I temporarily left the counter to bring wife's authorization. Someone got the money and told the persons in the queue that he was going to return the money to me and left. Meanwhile, I wrote a letter of authorization on the paper containing blank signature of my wife and return to the counter. But the counter person started discharging abusive remarks on me and said that my wife's signatures were not matching and asked me to pay Rs 1000 only for my own passport. Then I discovered about the missing of money and the persons in the queue informed me of the fact that the person went to return the money in fact fled away. I had no money then and was forced to leave the place wasting another day and physical strain of long waiting in the queue. I was mentally disturbed, shocked and got insulted never before like the counter person blew at me. I have more than 33 years of experience of service in teaching and industry of which mostly at IIT Kharagpur- but never faced such humiliation and insult like that day that led me to nearly crying.


I had the experience of interacting with the persons at counter nos 1, 3 and 9. I received polite response and co operation from all of them. Only the person at counter 7 (I don't know his identity) is a black spot of your department and should not be allowed to deal with the public. His intention of harassing and insulting me is completely unknown and unexpected to me. Perhaps he does not want people like me to come in persons instead get it done through the agents.


I therefore request you to kindly enquire the matter and take necessary action so that no people like me get harassed without any fault.

Thanking you

Yours sincerely

Prof. A.K.Mukhopadhyay

Above was the complaint emailed to Regional Passport Officer, Kolkata immediately after the incident. But neither any action nor any acknowledgement to my complaint was conveyed to me till now.
Prof. A.K.Mukhopadhyay