India, Feb. 12 -- In the wake of sharp criticism over how notorious criminal Nilesh Ghaywal managed to obtain a passport and flee abroad, the Pune Passport Office has decided to tighten scrutiny in cases involving suspicious residential addresses.

Regional passport officer Vinod Gaikwad said police have been instructed to conduct fresh and more rigorous verification in cases where the applicant's address is found to be doubtful. He said addresses that had earlier attracted police remarks stating that the applicant was "not residing at the given location" will now mandatorily undergo re-verification.

Speaking at the inauguration of a four-day special passport camp organised by the Pune Shramik Patrakar Sangh for its members and their fam...