India, Oct. 2 -- The Delhi High Court has held that mere pendency of an investigation cannot, by itself, justify restricting an individual's right to travel through the issuance of a Look-Out Circular (LOC).

A bench of justice Amit Mahajan in his September 28 order, released on Wednesday, observed that an LOC is a coercive measure and cannot be issued as a matter of routine merely on the ground that an investigation remains pending.

"... Its issuance and continued operation must be justified by circumstances warranting such restraint upon the right to travel. However, the mere fact that an investigation remains pending cannot, in itself, furnish an enduring basis for restricting the petitioner's right to travel, particularly where the p...