HC upholds impounding of passports of Jagat and his associates

New Delhi, Apr 18 (UNI) The Delhi High Court today upheld the order of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to impound the passports of Rajasthan MLA Jagat Singh, the son of former External affairs minister Natwar Singh, his business associate Andaleep Sehgal's father Suman Sehgal and two others allegedly involved in the 'cash for oil scam'.

Justice B D Ahmed dismissed the application of Suman Sehgal saying that he might not return after going abroad.

The Court justified the order of the ED pronounced on February 10, 2006, to impound the passports of the accused after the scam came to light.

However, the court said the ED would review its order in four months if the situation changed and inform them by June 10.

Suman had filed an application seeking direction to the ED for the release of his passport for going on a business trip.

The passports of Jagat Singh, Suman, businessman Vijay Dhar, his son Vikas Dhar, Youth Congress leader Jameel Zaidi and Asad Khan had been seized by the ED in February this year.

The Government Counsel submitted that Aditya Khanna, one of the suspect in the case had fled to the United Kingdom despite that a letter for cancellation of his passport had been issued.

The Directorate, which is inquiring into the Indian connections in the scam brought out by the Volcker Committee report, had directed Jagat, Suman and three others to hand in their passports to the agency.

It is alleged that the suspects had earned a commission by selling petroleum products given on voucher by deposed Iraqi President Saddam Hussain under the UN's oil-for-food programme between 1996 and 2003.

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