HC asks ED to file affidavit on Goyal's plea challenging his arrest for 'fraud'

The Bombay High Court on Wednesday directed the Enforcement Directorate ED to file its affidavit in response to Jet Airways founder Naresh Goyals plea challenging his illegal arrest in a money laundering case linked to bank loan defaultGoyal in his plea claimed his arrest was illegal as it was done without following provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act PMLA and also challenged orders of a special court which had sent him to the ED custody first and thereafter to jail under judicial remandWhen the plea was taken up for hearing on Wednesday by the HC advocate Hiten Venegaonkar appearing for the central agency sought time to file their reply affidavitSenior counsel Amit Desai appearing for the 74yearold businessman urged the court to grant a short date for hearing and pointed to his clients advanced ageA division bench of Justices Revati Mohite Dere and Gauri Godse then said it has to give the other side time to respondHe Goyal can file for bail That liberty is there ED may challenge this plea filed by Goyal in HC on maintainability itself Justice Dere notedThe bench posted the matter for hearing on October 6 by when the financial crimefighting agency has to file it affidavitGoyal is currently in judicial custody and lodged at Arthur Road Jail in Mumbai after arrest in the money laundering case linked to an alleged fraud of Rs 538 crore at Canara BankThe septuagenarian businessman who once operated Indias top private airline was arrested by the ED on September 1 and produced before a special court which remanded him to custody of the central agency till September 14On September 14 he was remanded to judicial custody for two weeksGoyal in the plea said his arrest was arbitrary unwarranted and done without the ED following proper procedure He sought to be released immediatelyThe money laundering case stems from an FIR of the Central Bureau of Investigation CBI against Jet Airways Goyal his wife Anita and some former company executives of the now grounded airline in connection with the alleged Rs 538crore fraud at Canara Bank a government lenderThe FIR was registered on the banks complaint which alleged that it sanctioned credit limits and loans to Jet Airways India Ltd to the tune of Rs 84886 crore of which Rs 53862 crore was outstandingThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever