Chandigarh: Accused in Rs 157-crore case seeks withdrawal of LOC issued against him

Goyal has also mentioned in his plea that his application for the release of the passport was also allowed by the court. He further pleaded that he was also detained and handed over to the Economic Offences Wing, Delhi, in another case where a LOC was issued against him. He stated that he is not the main accused in the CBI case, and he was unaware of the LOC issued by the department prior to his joining the investigation. Meanwhile, he will request for withdrawal of LOC by the concerned authority of EOW in Delhi and seek their permission before traveling abroad again.

Goyal stated that he was surprised to learn about the LOC opened against him by the CBI as the immigration impounded his passport on January 15, 2020. He has thus stated that he is willing to cooperate further and has no intention to abscond.

Goyal had moved an application to visit Dubai and the USA. However, it was opposed by CBI Counsel Narender Singh that the accused’s parents Rajiv Goyal and Alka Goyal, who have been declared proclaimed offenders in the case, are suspected to be in Canada, and thus there is a possibility that Suhail might also escape.

The court, however, after hearing the arguments, allowed Suhail’s plea to visit Dubai by furnishing an FDR of Rs 12 lakh and dismissed the request to visit the USA.

Suhail could not visit Dubai after the LOC was issued against him, and moved the CBI court.

The case

Officials of SPL and a few bank officials have been accused of cheating the State Bank of India (SBI) of Rs 157.96 crore. The two prime accused in the case, Rajiv Goyal and his wife Alka Goyal, directors of SPL, are absconding. Charges have been framed against Suhail Goyal, son of SPL Director Rajiv Goyal, and six others, including Pramod Agarwal, director (operations) of Kobian Private Limited, SPL representative Balwinder Bhola, Dinesh Varmani and two others under sections 120-B read with 420 of IPC and relevant sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

According to the complaint received by CBI on May 22, 2014, Kumar Sharadindu, general manager of SBI, Mid-Corporate Group, Panchkula, Sector 5 branch, had alleged that SPL had availed of working capital worth Rs 1,100 crore. SBI’s share was Rs 405 crore. The fraud was committed from 2010 to 2012. Suhail Goyal was the additional director general of Emsons Organics limited, one of the companies accused in the case, during the relevant period when the fraud was committed.