29 April 2024 Business Laws >> Business & Commercial Law  

A Petitioner facing an ongoing investigation (likely by the CBI - Central Bureau of Investigation) was granted permission to travel to the United States for three weeks by the Gujarat High Court. This comes despite a Look Out Circular (LOC) being issued against the petitioner by the respondent authorities.

The court order cites a previous instance where the Petitioner was allowed to travel abroad under similar circumstances on September 27th, 2023.

Conditions for Travel Granted:

The court allowed travel under the following conditions:

• A deposit of Rs. 25 lakhs (Indian Rupees) with the High Court registry.
• Submission of an undertaking including:
• Flight details and return date.
• Commitment to report to the CBI before June 2nd, 2024.
• Agreement to adhere to the travel plan and return to India by May 20th, 2024.
• Refrain from opening bank accounts, engaging in property transactions, or seeking adjournments in legal proceedings while abroad.
• Provide itinerary and foreign residence details before travel.

Immigration and Bank Cooperation:

The court directed immigration authorities to permit the Petitioner's travel based on the submitted undertaking. Additionally, the Bank of India is required to inform the Bureau of Immigration upon receiving the undertaking and confirm they have no objection to the travel.

Conclusion:

The Petitioner has until May 1st, 2024, to file the undertaking with the court. A soft copy must also be emailed to the CBI by April 29th, 2024. Upon returning from the trip, the petitioner can request a refund of the deposited amount from the High Court registry.