PANAJI
The High Court of Bombay at Goa on Thursday directed Goa Police to provide all possible assistance to Israeli national Yaniv Benaim, alias Atala, to renew his expired passport, even as the police questioned his prolonged illegal stay in India.
The direction came during the hearing of Atala’s plea challenging the denial of bail. Atala submitted to the Bench of Justice S G Chapalgaonkar that he had applied for a visa, which Goa Police said was rejected while his passport had also expired.
Atala’s legal representative, however, denied receiving any intimation that his application had been rejected. The police further argued that despite being aware of the passport expiration, Atala had not applied for renewal of his passport.
“I do not know what he is doing in India. He cannot claim that he is stuck in India,” the police submitted.
Atala’s lawyer thereafter told the court that he was in the process of renewing his passport and sought a direction to the authorities to provide the necessary assistance for obtaining the document.
The High Court directed Goa Police to provide all possible assistance to Atala to renew his passport. “The applicant is in the process of getting renewal of his passport. He further seeks the respondents to provide necessary assistance to the applicant to enable him to get the passport. In light of this, the respondent may provide all possible assistance in his endeavour,” the Bench said. The matter has been posted for further hearing on October 14.
Atala surrendered before the trial court last month after his bail was cancelled. He was earlier absconding after the North Goa Special NDPS Court rejected his fresh bail application in a 2025 drug case and issued a non-bailable warrant against him.
