Overview

• On June 18, the Madras High Court disposed of Revathy’s petition after the Chennai Regional Passport Office stalled her April application over a pending divorce case.
• The court held that a wife does not lose her individuality after marriage and need not obtain her husband’s permission or signature in any form to apply for a passport.
• Justice Venkatesh condemned the RPO’s insistence on Form-J consent as reflective of a regressive societal mindset treating married women as property.
• The bench directed the Regional Passport Office in Chennai to complete Revathy’s passport issuance within four weeks once she fulfils the standard requirements.
• The order establishes a binding precedent affirming married women’s autonomy in administrative procedures across India.