PANAJI
A Kenyan national at the centre of a dispute over an exit permit appeared before the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) Panaji on Thursday, after the High Court of Bombay at Goa directed authorities to process her application without delay.
Sources told The Goan that applicant Teresia Wairimu Muturi has been asked to complete formalities to apply through the FRRO in Mumbai, which will further process her request.
On Tuesday, the Division Bench of Justice Suman Shyam and Justice Amit Jamsandekar ordered the FRRO to process her exit permit application “as expeditiously as possible, but not later than April 15, 2026” -- the date her passport expires.
Muturi’s visa expired in 2018, though her passport remains valid till April 15. She had applied for an exit permit after overstaying but was arrested and later chargesheeted under relevant laws. A trial court granted a set-off of 62 days of imprisonment for time already served.
In her petition, she stated that her passport was deposited at Mapusa Police Station and that she was directed to remain in its vicinity, rather than being sent to a detention centre. She reapplied for an exit permit on January 13, stating her intention to leave India, but the application remained pending.
The government informed the court that the FRRO was unable to process the request because she was not found at the Parra address provided for verification. The court then directed her to appear before the FRRO on Thursday and instructed authorities to complete the process before the April deadline.
