MUMBAI: A day after the special PMLA court on Thursday remanded Jet Airways founder Naresh Goyal to 14-day judicial custody, till September 29, he petitioned the Bombay high court on Friday to challenge his arrest and remand orders as “unwarranted, arbitrary and illegal.’’
Goyal was arrested on September 1 in a money laundering case registered by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) linked to an alleged fraud of Rs 538 crore at the Canara Bank. Advocate Karan Kadam mentioned his plea before a bench of Justices Revati Mohite Dere and Gauri Godse of the HC for an urgent hearing. The bench posted it for hearing on Wednesday.
Goyal’s plea before the HC has challenged the September 1 arrest order and arrest memo as well as the remand order of September 2 claiming that procedures under the law were not followed.
Goyal, 74, said the arrest was done “without complying with mandatory requirements of section 19 of the PMLA Act” and hence the arrest is “vitiated’’ and that he is “entitled to be released forthwith.’’
His petition before the HC said the Sessions Judge failed to satisfy himself with the due compliance of the mandatory requirement under the Act and the remand orders “further perpetuates the illegal and high handed acts of the agency.
The ED case against Goyal is that the CBI had registered an FIR on May 3, 2023 on a complaint filed by Canara Bank alleging offences of cheating, conspiracy and criminal breach of trust by Jet Airways (India) Lt, Goyal in connivance with other accused to siphon of bank funds to the tune of Rs 538 crores.
The ED case was based on the CBI FIR.
The ED says the case involves a large number of banking transactions with high value cash withdrawals from funds related to loans obtained by the accused. Senior counsel Amit Desai is expected to argue his case on the next date.
