Chennai: Directing the designated Prevention of Terrorism Court (POTA) court to return Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) leader Vaiko's 'diplomatic' passport, which had automatically expired with dissolution of the Lok Sabha, to him, the Madras High Court today, however, told the passport authority that if a fresh passport was issued it should be handed over to the POTA court.

In their order on a petition from Vaiko seeking return of the passport so that he could apply for a new one, a division bench comprising Justice R Balasubramanian and Justice N Kannadasan turned down Vaiko's prayer that the new passport be handed over and said it would be open to him to approach the court for getting possession of it.

He had surrendered his passport to the POTA court after being granted bail on February 3.

The judges ordered that the diplomatic passport be substituted by a certified copy, with all endorsements by Vaiko.

Permitting him to take possession of his passport and surrender it to the passport authority, the judges said if necessary the authority should produce the original in the POTA court if required.

The judges directed the passport authority to consider issue of a fresh passport to Vaiko.

In his petition, Vaiko said he needed a passport to accompany his wife, who was to take their 11-month-old granddaughter to her parents in Chicago in the US.