The Delhi High Court has directed CBI to recall the Look Out Circular (LOC) issued against a Hyderabad-based businessman who is an accused in a corruption case involving meat exporter Moin Akhtar Qureshi and the agency’s ex-director A.P. Singh.
Issued on May 16
Justice Sangita Dhingra Sehgal said since Pradeep Koneru, the businessman, has been regularly joining the investigation, there is no justification in keeping alive the LOC which was issued on May 16 last.
“Since the petitioner [Koneru] has been regularly joining investigation, there is no justification in keeping the present Look-Out Circular dated May 16, 2018, alive. The same be recalled by the issuing authority,” the court said.
The court also imposed certain conditions on Mr. Koneru, including that he has to join the probe as and when called by the investigating officer (IO) and cooperate with the CBI.
It also said that in case he has to travel abroad, he has to furnish to the IO the details of the country where he proposes to go, one week prior to the visit.
“The petitioner shall not travel abroad for more than two weeks in one month... The amount of ₹6 crore deposited by the petitioner in the court shall be kept in the form of FDR till March 31, 2021 on auto renewal basis,” the court said.
Told to return passport
In case of any violation of the conditions by Mr. Koneru, the FDR will be forfeited and the CBI is at liberty to take appropriate recourse in accordance with the law, it said. It asked the trial court to return his passport and directed the High Court registry to communicate a copy of this order to the FRRO.
The High Court passed the order on Mr. Koneru’s plea seeking quashing of the LOC issued against him by the CBI in the corruption case.
The FIR, in connection with which Mr. Koneru was being questioned, was filed in 2017 by CBI after ED and Income Tax department’s probe into money laundering and black money allegations against Mr. Qureshi allegedly revealed involvement of senior public servants.
The ED had written a letter to the CBI in this regard and it had in 2017 lodged an FIR against the meat exporter as well as its former director A P Singh, Mr. Koneru and several others.
Koneru is a prosecution witness in the ED case.
