A Delhi court on Monday allowed Congress leader and industrialist Naveen Jindal, accused in three cases related to alleged irregularities in the allocation of coal blocks, to travel abroad from September 30 to October 10.
Special Judge Arun Bhardwaj allowed Jindal’s application seeking permission to travel to the US, UAE, Oman, Spain, Mexico, Guyana, Venezuela, Guinea, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and South Africa, noting he had gone abroad several times in the past and returned to India to face the trial within the stipulated period.
“A perusal of records shows that the accused has travelled abroad several times in the past and returned to India to face the trial within the stipulated period… Therefore, in the considered opinion of this Court, the applicant/accused is entitled to permission of the Court to travel abroad,” the judge said.
The judge directed Jindal to furnish a fixed deposit of Rs 1 crore and not tamper with evidence or try to influence the witness in any manner.
Jindal had moved the application seeking the court’s permission to travel abroad for business.
One of the cases against Jindal pertains to alleged irregularities in the allocation of the Amarkonda Murgadangal coal block in Jharkhand which is being probed by the CBI.
A separate money laundering case is being probed by the ED in relation to allocation of the coal bock.
The third case being probed by the CBI relates to alleged irregularities in the allocation of Urtan North coal block in Madhya Pradesh.
