India, Feb. 27 -- The Delhi high court has held that right to possess a passport and to travel abroad constitutes an essential facet of the right to personal liberty guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution of India and that any such action curtailing or affecting this right must strictly adhere to the principles of natural justice.

"The right to hold a passport and to travel abroad is an integral facet of the right to personal liberty guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution of India. It follows that any State action impinging upon the right to hold a passport must satisfy the test of reasonableness and must be in conformity with the principles of natural justice," a bench of justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav the court hel...