Money Laundering Case: Delhi High Court Permits Vivo India Finance Director To Travel Abroad, Suspends LOC For Four Days

The Delhi High Court has permitted Vivo Mobile India Private Limited's Senior Director (Finance and Accounts) to travel to Bangkok, Thailand, for four days.

Justice Sachin Datta directed that the Look Out Circular (LOC) issued against Harinder Dahiya will remain suspended during the period of his travel.

Justice Sachin Datta permitted Dahiya to travel from October 12 to October 15, for official meetings relating to statutory audit matters, audit and control transformation, litigation, and business and finance strategy of Vivo India.

Dahiya had approached the Court seeking permission to travel abroad, release of his passport and suspension of the LOC issued against him. His passport had been deposited before the trial court pursuant to conditions imposed after his arrest in a money laundering case.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) opposed the plea, contending that Dahiya, being a Director and CFO of Vivo India, had played a crucial role in the alleged siphoning of proceeds of crime stated to be around Rs. 20,241 crore.

The agency also submitted that the meetings could be attended virtually and relied upon a previous order refusing foreign travel to co-accused Guangwen Kuang alias Andrew Kuang.

The Court observed that its earlier direction requiring Dahiya to obtain permission before travelling abroad did not impose an absolute restraint on foreign travel.

“The direction… does not impose an absolute restraint upon the petitioner from travelling abroad, but requires prior permission of this Court. The said direction, therefore, operates as a safeguard to secure the Petitioner's availability during the pendency of the proceedings and cannot, by itself, be construed as an absolute embargo on travel,” the Court said.

It further noted that the right to travel abroad forms part of the personal liberty guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution of India.

Justice Datta took note of Dahiya's compliance record, observing that he was an Indian citizen with his family, home, employment and assets in India and that his compliance with summons and directions issued by the ED for approximately three years was “unblemished.”

The Court also noted that the proposed Bangkok visit was for a short duration of four days and was in furtherance of his employment.

Rejecting the ED's reliance on the earlier order concerning co-accused Andrew Kuang, the Court said that case was distinguishable as Kuang was a foreign national and there was no extradition treaty with China and that Dahiya, on the other hand, was an Indian national travelling to Thailand.

The Court accordingly allowed Dahiya to travel subject to safeguards, including furnishing an undertaking to return to India by October 15 and remain available for trial court hearings.

He was also directed to deposit the original title documents of his immovable assets with the High Court Registry as security, furnish his itinerary, flight details and contact particulars in Thailand to the investigating officer and trial court, and intimate his return within 24 hours.

The Court further directed that Dahiya shall not contact any witness, tamper with evidence or undertake any act prejudicial to the proceedings.

It directed that the LOC will remain suspended from October 12 to October 15 and shall revive automatically thereafter.

The Court clarified that its observations were confined to the application and would not amount to an expression on the merits of the case.

The matter has now been listed for hearing on January 14, 2027.