How police verification works for passports
When you apply for a passport or renewal, the passport office requests a Police Verification Report (PVR). The local police station checks its station crime registers for your name and address.
Under Section 6(2)(f) of the Passports Act, 1967, a passport can be refused on criminal grounds only if proceedings in respect of an offence alleged to have been committed by the applicant are pending before a criminal court in India.
The timing matters: under the law, proceedings are pending before a court only after a Magistrate takes cognizance of a charge sheet or complaint. An FIR still under police investigation does not legally mean a court case is pending. Even so, if the local station mentions an ongoing investigation in its report, the Regional Passport Office may issue an explanation letter asking for clarification before issuing the passport.
Traveling abroad when a case is pending in court
If criminal proceedings are pending before a Magistrate, travel abroad is not permanently barred. Under Ministry of External Affairs Notification GSR 570(E) and settled Supreme Court precedent, you can apply to the trial court for permission to travel abroad or renew your passport. When the court grants permission, the passport office issues the document for the period specified by the Magistrate.
How employment background checks verify records
Background verification agencies do not have special access to internal police databases. They conduct checks by searching public judicial portals, primarily eCourts and High Court databases, for active criminal trials or convictions.
An FIR published on a police portal records an initial allegation. Unless an investigation results in a charge sheet that a court accepts, an unadjudicated complaint or closed investigation does not constitute a criminal conviction.
Do Non-Cognizable Reports appear in verifications?
No. Non-Cognizable Reports are logged in local station registers and are not published on CCTNS portals or court dockets. Routine NCs that were not taken to a Magistrate do not appear in background checks or passport verification.
This is a description of the public process, not legal advice. For advice about your own case, speak to a lawyer or the police station handling it.