Delhi High Court

SFIO Probe: Delhi HC Refuses To Allow Shivinder Mohan Singh To Travel Abroad

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday has refused to permit former Religare promoter Shivinder Mohan Singh to travel abroad, maintaining the look-out circular issued against him in connection with an SFIO probe into the affairs of Religare Enterprises Limited and other related entities.

A vacation bench of Justice Dharmesh Sharma observed that Singh possesses considerable assets and properties outside India, either directly or indirectly, and expressed concerns that if allowed to leave the country, he might not return to face the investigation and trial.

Singh had requested permission to travel to the United Kingdom from June 14 to July 4 and again from August 20 to September 10 to attend his two sons’ graduation ceremonies. He challenged a trial court’s decision that rejected his plea to suspend the LOC and allow him to travel abroad during these periods.

Court States…

The high court upheld the trial court’s decision, highlighting the importance of the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) probe, which aims to protect the economic and national interests of the country. “The magnitude of the investigation being conducted by the SFIO in public interest to safeguard the economic and national interest of the country is at a much higher pedestal,” the court stated.

Acknowledging the significance of the graduation ceremonies, the court noted, “Attending the graduation ceremony of his sons, which is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, is momentous, and the sentiments of fatherly love cannot be brushed aside. However, this must give way to the paramount national interest and the interests of the stakeholders who have been deprived of their hard-earned investments in REL and other companies.”

More Into The Order

The court concluded that granting Singh permission to travel abroad would pose a risk. “There are sufficient grounds to infer that if such liberty is granted, the petitioner may abuse it and may not return to India, potentially undermining the entire investigation and ensuing process.”

The SFIO’s lawyer argued that while Singh has justifiable personal reasons to attend his sons’ graduation ceremonies, the paramount economic interest of the company cannot be ignored, especially given that the investigation has so far indicated that more than ₹1,800 crore have been siphoned off out of India.

Meera Verma

Recent Posts

SC Orders SIT Probe Into RG Kar Custodial Torture, Weekly Reports To HC

The Supreme Court on Monday ordered a Special Investigation Team to probe allegations of torture…

21 minutes ago

“Fair Probe To Be Conducted Into Sambhal Violence”: UP Deputy CM Brajesh Pathak

Violence erupted in Sambhal, UP, following a controversial survey at a Mughal-era mosque, leading to…

50 minutes ago

SC Junks Pleas Challenging Words ‘Socialist’, ‘Secular’ In Preamble To Constitution

The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed pleas seeking the removal of the terms 'socialist' and…

59 minutes ago

Constitution Day Celebration At SC: PM Modi To Address The Event

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the Constitution Day celebration at the Supreme Court complex…

1 hour ago

Advocate Seeks Judicial Probe Into Jhansi NICU Fire Tragedy

Supreme Court advocate Amit Dwivedi on Monday has called for a time-bound judicial inquiry into…

2 hours ago

SC Defers Hearing Of Balwant Singh Rajoana’s Mercy Plea

The Supreme Court on Monday deferred by 4 weeks the hearing on Balwant Singh Rajoana’s…

2 hours ago