"No Flight Risk" : Delhi High Court Permits NDTV Promoters Prannoy Roy & Radhika Roy To Travel Abroad Between August 1 To 30

The Delhi High Court yesterday allowed NDTV promoters Prannoy Roy and Radhika Roy to travel abroad between 1st to 30th August, 2022.

The development came in the backdrop of a Look Out Circulars (LOC) having been issued against the duo by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The LOC in turn was opened pursuant to the registration of two FIRs dated 2 June 2017 and 19 August 2019.

Accordingly, an application was filed by Prannoy Roy and Radhika Roy seeking permission from the Court to permit them to travel abroad from August 1 to 30, 2022.

A single judge bench comprising of Justice Yashwant Varma, while granting petitioners permission to travel abroad, however imposed two conditions on them.

It said that both Prannoy Roy and Radhika Roy shall file a requisite undertaking before the Registrar General of High Court that they shall return to the country not later than by 30 August, 2022. It added that they will also furnish to the respondent authorities a copy of the air tickets they had purchased for their travel, along with the complete itinerary of their stay abroad.

"The petitioners will also provide their phone numbers which would be used by them during their stay abroad, which numbers will be kept operational at all times," the Court added.

The Court noted that although investigation was ongoing in the matter, however till date no chargesheet was filed by CBI. It further noted that an earlier LOC which had been issued had expired on 19 June 2020 and that a second LOC was thereafter opened on 11 January 2021. 

The Court thus proceed on the basis that the LOC of 11 January 2021 which had been opened still subsisted.

Perusing the affidavit filed on behalf of the CBI, the Court noted that various allegations were levelled with respect to certain financial transactions which were undertaken by the duo in their capacity as being part of the management of New Delhi Television Ltd.

"However and as the record presently stands, the Court finds that the respondents do not place reliance on any material which may even remotely indicate that the petitioners constitute a flight risk. It is also not shown or established that they have failed to render cooperation in the ongoing investigation," the Court said.

From the material placed on record, the Court was of the view that it was manifest that the petitioners had deep rooted ties in the country and that the prayer for interim permission would merit acceptance.

Accordingly, the application was allowed.

Title: DR PRANNOY ROY & ANR. v. UNION OF INDIA & ORS.

Citation: 2022 LiveLaw (Del) 530

Click here to read/download the order