Former Jet Airways chairman Naresh Goyal and his wife, Anita, were stopped from travelling abroad by Mumbai immigration officials on Saturday afternoon.

Goyal was offloaded from a Dubai bound Emirates flight after the aircraft was called back to the terminal around 3.40 pm as it was taxiing towards the runway of Mumbai airport. Airport officials said immigration officials called the flight back and offloaded the couple along with their checked-in luggage.

Confirming the development, Mumbai Commissioner of Police, Sanjay Barve, said, “Naresh Goyal was stopped by Mumbai police and immigration branch officials.”

Goyal and his wife had resigned from the board of Jet Airways in March and the airline announce temporary suspension of its operations in April.

Immigration officials declined to reveal the reasons for stopping Goyal from leaving the country, but it is learnt they were to take a connecting flight to London. The Enforcement Directorate is investigating the airline’s accounts for irregularities.

Jet Airways employees had earlier said they were worried about the Goyals leaving the country even as the airline’s revival plan remains unclear.

While Jet Airways is yet to issue a statement, an Emirates spokesperson in a statement said, “Emirates is co-operating fully with the relevant authorities.”

First Published: May 25, 2019 20:54 IST