Can't travel abroad with 2 LOCs: Goyal
Mumbai, May 29 -- Jet Airways founder Naresh Goyal on Thursday informed the vacation bench of the Bombay High Court that he is unlikely to travel abroad immediately as two look out circulars (LOC) issued against him are still in effect.
Responding to the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) petition challenging the order of a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court permitting Goyal to travel abroad for medical treatment, the 77-year-old said in an affidavit that his departure "remains contingent upon obtaining appropriate orders in respect of other Look Out Circulars which continue to remain pending and operative" against him.
The ED is investigating Goyal in an ongoing Rs.539-crore financial fraud case. Released from prison on bail, the septuagenarian suffers from serious medical ailments, including cancer.
Goyal's affidavit, filed on Thursday before the vacation court presided over by justice Shyam Chandak, stated that his interim applications seeking a stay on the LOCs were unlikely to be heard by the vacation bench and would be listed for hearing after the high court reopens on June 10.
"In these circumstances, there is no possibility of my travelling abroad till this Hon'ble Court reopens, as the aforesaid pending Look Out Circulars continue to prevent my departure from India," the affidavit read. It added that the ED's petition seeking to restrain Goyal from travelling abroad "may safely be kept beyond vacation". The court then adjourned the petition till June 10 to be heard by a regular bench of the high court.
The ED had challenged the special court's order allowing Goyal to travel abroad. The agency had claimed that Goyal was a "monumental flight risk" and the medical consultations for his illnesses were also available in top institutions like AIIMS in Delhi and Tata Memorial Hospital in Mumbai. The ED also claimed that Goyal possessed two passports and that he had kept the information from the agency and the court.
In his affidavit, Goyal stated that the ED was yet to respond to his request to return his passport following the special court's order on May 12. He said that his application for a fresh passport had been granted on a pre-police verification basis. He stated that the police verification for his passport was pending with the Gamdevi Police Station for want of a response from the ED....
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