Special court rejects bail plea of Naresh Goyal in ED case

The detailed order on the bail plea is likely to be made available on Friday.

Jet Airways founder Naresh Goyal

A SPECIAL court on Wednesday rejected the bail application of Jet Airways founder Naresh Goyal, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in September last year. Goyal had sought bail on grounds that he has become very weak, and his immunity has become low after being afflicted with a malignant tumour and undergoing surgery. The court said he is better looked after at the hospital where he is admitted with permission from the court, based on medical advice.

“…the applicant (Goyal) is aged 75 years and suffers from numerous life-threatening medical conditions. The current state of the applicant is alarming and such is evident from the hospital report,” the bail plea said. Goyal’s lawyers had argued that his physical and mental health has deteriorated to such a level that there can never be any apprehension that he will be in a position to influence any witnesses. They also said that the health of Goyal’s wife has also significantly deteriorated and sought for the court to consider these circumstances.

“The applicant submits that denying him medical bail at this stage may well be writing his death warrant as it is obvious that the applicant would not survive–maybe not even long enough to see the commencement (much less conclusion) of his trial,” the bail plea had said.

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The ED opposing his bail had said that the medical reports are not suggestive of any exceptional change in his medical condition. The court had on February 29 permitted Goyal to get admitted at Tata Memorial Hospital or a hospital of his choice after medical reports showed a malignant growth. Accordingly, on March 5, Goyal was admitted at a private hospital in South Mumbai. The ED said the court had decided this previous application of Goyal and sufficient and necessary relief was allowed.

Goyal was arrested on September 1, 2023 by the ED, which claimed he had laundered money, siphoning off loans to the tune of Rs 538.62 crore that had been given to Jet Airways by Canara Bank. During a previous hearing in January, Goyal had told the court he had ‘lost every hope of life and better he should die rather keeping him alive in such a situation and he had no hope for any future’.

The detailed order on the bail plea is likely to be made available on Friday.

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