The Rouse Avenue court has granted Tejaswi Yadav, an accused in a CBI case, permission to travel to Dubai for a family vacation from September 18 to October 8. Special CBI judge Vishal Gogne approved the request, setting specific conditions for Yadav’s trip.
As part of the court’s directives, Yadav must provide a Fixed Deposit Receipt (FDR) of Rs 25 lakh, which will be forfeited if he violates any conditions. He is also required to submit his full travel itinerary, including his stay details in Dubai and a contact number before departing. Upon his return, Yadav must inform the court within 48 hours and surrender his passport after renewal.
The court emphasized that Yadav cannot request an extension of his stay abroad.
The CBI had opposed the application, citing the severity of the allegations under the Prevention of Corruption (PC) Act. However, the judge ruled that “the gravity of the allegations is by itself not reason to deny foreign travel to an accused who is on bail.” The court further observed that the right to travel is fundamental, even for an accused, and should not be unnecessarily restricted.
In response to the CBI’s concerns, the court noted that the objections were unsubstantiated and that Yadav had fulfilled similar requirements during previous foreign travel. Yadav’s counsel highlighted that as the Leader of the Opposition in Bihar, there was no risk of him fleeing the country.
Despite the CBI’s argument that the travel arrangements were vague and unnecessary, the court allowed the trip, with reasonable restrictions imposed.
