GUJARAT, India, Nov 23: An Indian expatriate has moved the Gujarat High Court after the Indian Embassy in Kuwait denied the renewal of his passport due to a pending case involving wrong-side driving in India, placing his long-time employment and residency in the Gulf in jeopardy.

Mohsin Surti, 46, a native of Mahisagar district, has lived and worked in Kuwait for the past 25 years on a valid work permit. He told the court that the Embassy’s refusal has left him facing the prospect of deportation and permanent blacklisting — a consequence that would prevent him from returning to Kuwait or entering any other Gulf country.

Surti’s passport, issued in 2016, is due to expire on January 30, 2026. He submitted a renewal application at the Indian Embassy in Kuwait on August 7, 2025, but on August 25 was informed that the request had been rejected due to a pending criminal case in India. Embassy officials told him he would need a closure report or a court order to secure even a temporary passport.

The case, Surti later learned, was registered during his 2024 visit to India at the Lunawada police station for wrong-side and negligent driving. He maintains that he had settled the issue through a lawyer, but the matter remains pending before the court, prompting the Embassy to withhold his passport renewal.

With his employment at risk and unable to resolve the issue without valid travel documents, Surti approached the Gujarat High Court through his wife. In his petition, he said he became aware of the ongoing case only after receiving the Embassy’s communication and expressed readiness to participate in legal proceedings via video conferencing or in person if required.