Judge recuses self, new bench to hear Goyal plea

NEW DELHI: The Delhi high court on Friday referred to a different bench embattled Jet Airways founder Naresh Goyal’s plea challenging a look out circular (LOC) that bars him from travelling outside the country. The matter was listed for July 9 after Justice Vibhu Bakhru recused himself and ordered its hearing by another bench.
Goyal has approached the HC assailing the LOC issued against him on the request of the Serious Fraud Investigation Office.
Informing the court that he has been a non-resident Indian citizen since 1991, Goyal says this requires that he must stay abroad at least for 183 days a year for income tax benefits and to maintain his residency visa in the UK and the UAE.
Goyal says he came to know of the lookout circular on May 25 when he and his wife Anita were offloaded from a flight to Dubai with an onward connection to London.
He claims that no ECIR/FIR has been registered against him nor has he been named as an accused in any case warranting issuance of LOC.
The LOC was issued after an inspection by the ministry found large-scale irregularities at Jet Airways, which shuttered operations in April due to acute cash crunch.