MUMBAI, May 27 -- A single-judge bench of justice Shreeram Shirsat has recused itself from hearing a petition filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the Bombay High Court challenging a lower court's order permitting Jet Airways founder Naresh Goyal to travel to London for four weeks to seek expert medical opinion for serious ailments, including cancer. The judge said on Monday that he could not hear the matter as he had earlier appeared as a special public prosecutor in proceedings related to Goyal. A special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court had, on May 12, permitted Goyal to travel to London for four weeks, on the condition that he strictly comply with the itinerary and provide guarantees to the court that he would return to India. Special PMLA judge RB Rote had noted that the right to travel for a person suffering from various ailments is a basic human right. The ED, which is investigating Goyal in an ongoing Rs.539-crore financial fraud case, had opposed the plea in the high court on May 22, saying the 76-year-old was a flight risk. In its plea, filed through advocate Ashish Mehta, the ED also claimed that Goyal possesses two passports and that he had kept the information from the agency and the court. In February 2024, Goyal had urged the special PMLA court to grant him temporary bail on medical grounds for six months after the medical board of the JJ Hospital confirmed that he was diagnosed with cancer. On March 1, the PMLA court rejected Goyal's application for interim medical bail for six months, but allowed him to be admitted to Tata Memorial Hospital or any other hospital of his choice under escort for two months. Goyal has been accused of cheating several public sector banks of crores of rupees. In July 2023, following raids, the ED arrested him as part of its money-laundering investigation related to an alleged bank fraud of Rs.538.62 crore. The raids were conducted after Canara Bank filed a complaint against Jet Airways, Goyal, his wife Anita, former company executive G Shetty, and other unidentified public servants. According to the FIR, Canara Bank had sanctioned credit limits and loans worth Rs.848.86 crore to the airline, of which Rs.538.62 crore had not been returned. The airline's bank account was then declared a "fraud" in July 2021. According to the bank, a forensic audit of the airline's finances showed that it had diverted and siphoned off funds and even paid "related companies" Rs.1,410.41 crore out of the total commission expenses....