Two passports at the same time

My friend was living in Punjab, and applied for a passport in 2001. In 2002, he moved to Delhi and during the 4.5 years he lived there, his passport was lost, although he didn't inform the police or the passport office. In Delhi, he applied for and was issued another passport, no questions asked.

Last week, when he went to renew his passport, he was advised that he had two passports at the same time, those issued in Punjab and Delhi.

What shold he do now? Is this considered fraud case and is it a serious issue?

Best Answer

If he didn't inform the police, I can understand his passport wasn't marked as lost.

In many countries, one can have 2 valid passports simultaneously, so it's not surprising your friend was easily able to obtain a second passport.

He most likely has broken a law by not filing a police report. Moreover, he may legally be responsible for many actions taken by a person(s), who found/stolen his passport.

What he should do is talk to a lawyer and I am very serious here, because not being able to renew a passport may be his least worry.