Delhi HC refuses to allow Naresh Goyal to go abroad

NEW DELHI: A Delhi high court on Tuesday refused to allow Jet Airways founder Naresh Goyal to leave India and sought response of the Centre on his plea challenging a look out circular issued against him. Justice Suresh Kait said no interim relief can be granted to Goyal at this stage and added that he may deposit Rs 18,000 crore guarantee if he wants to travel to a foreign country now.

The court was hearing Goyal’s plea challenging the look out circular (LOC) issued against him on the ground that as on May 25, when he was de-boarded from a flight to Dubai, no ECIR/FIR was registered against him. Goyal said he came to know of the LOC on May 25 when he and his wife Anita were off-loaded from a flight to Dubai with an onward connection to London.

The high court has put up the matter for further hearing on August 23. Senior advocate Maninder Singh, appearing for Goyal, argued that on May 25 when the couple was de-boarded, there was no material to show any attempt to evade the investigation and they were NRI and required to go abroad for a certain period.

Mr Singh said till the time Goyal filed the petition in the high court, there was no case against him but on July 6 when the matter came up for hearing, he received summon from the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) to appear before it on July 10 and join investigations. He added that Goyal also wanted to go to Dubai and London for the purpose of arranging funds for the Jet group, which was facing financial crisis.

The plea was opposed by additional solicitor general Maninder Acharya and central government standing counsel Ajay Digpaul, saying it is a serious fraud of Rs 18,000 crore and the investigation was going on by the SFIO. The government counsel said Goyal must join the investigation and sought time to file response to his petition.