Coal case: Court rejects plea of accused to travel abroad

A Special CBI court on Monday denied permission to an accused, 81-year-old Radha Krishna Saraf, in a coal block allocation case to travel abroad.

Special CBI Judge Bharat Parashar rejected the application of Saraf, director of Gagan Sponge Iron Pvt. Ltd. (GSIPL), seeking to go to Canada from July 19 to September 12.

The court said it did not deem it appropriate to allow the application.

"...the apprehension that the accused may continue to overstay in Canada on one or the other medical ground beyond the period for which permission has been sought by him does not appear to be a farfetched situation," the court observed while rejecting the application.

In his application, Saraf said his younger son resided in Toronto in Canada with his family and he intended to visit them from July 19 to September 12.

There was no likelihood that he would not be available to face the trial, the accused said. The court can impose suitable conditions as deemed necessary while granting permission to Saraf to travel abroad, his lawyer told the court.

Opposing the application, the CBI pointed out Saraf had said he was suffering from various ailments and advised to avoid stress on account of his advanced age and fragile health. The agency apprehended that Saraf might continue to overstay abroad on one or the other medical ground, the CBI counsel said.