The Delhi High Court on Thursday asked the Union Home Ministry to file an affidavit on the existing system for issuance of look-out circulars to check arrival or departure of foreigners or Indians who have been banned from leaving or arriving in the country.
Justice S. Muralidhar passed the direction on a petition by Vikram Sharma who was detained by the Foreigners' Registration Regional Office (FRRO) here in March 2008 on a request by the National Commission for Women (NCW) for opening a Look-Out Circular against him. Vikram Sharma has challenged his detention.
The Commission at that time was seized of a complaint against the petitioner. The complainant had submitted before it that she had an apprehension that the petitioner might flee the country to avoid the mediation process pending before it.
The Commission had sent the request for issuance of the circular when the petitioner expressed his inability to appear before it.
Acting on the Commission's request, the FRRO had offloaded the petitioner at Indira Gandhi International Airport here from a flight going to Dubai.
Justice Muralidhar further said the affidavit would be filed by a senior officer of the Ministry within four weeks and he would be present in the Court on July 20, the next date of hearing, for clarification.
The Court also asked the Delhi Police Commissioner to file an affidavit explaining the procedure it adopts for issuance of the circular.
In addition to the Ministry, the Delhi Police had also made a separate request for issuance of the circular which was later withdrawn.
The police would also reply to a contention by the petitioner that his case was unnecessarily transferred from the Crime Against Women Cell to the Anti-Extortion Cell.
