Jet Airways Founder Naresh Goyal Granted 2-Month Interim Bail For Medical Reasons

Interim bail for a period of two months on medical grounds was granted to Naresh Goyal, the founder of Jet Airways, by the Bombay High Court on Monday in connection with a money laundering case for which he was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

The order was issued by a single bench of Justice N J Jamadar, which also mandated that Goyal pay a surety of ₹1 lakh and remain within Mumbai unless he obtains prior permission from the trial court, as reported by Hindustan Times.

Jet Airways Founder Naresh Goyal Gets 2 Months Interim Bail

According to the court's directive, "The applicant (Goyal) shall be released on interim bail for a period of two months. He shall abide by all conditions imposed." Additionally, Goyal was directed to surrender his passport as part of the conditions for his interim release.

Naresh Goyal, aged 75, had applied for interim bail on medical and humanitarian grounds, citing his own health issues as well as those of his wife, Anita Goyal, who is also battling cancer. Goyal was arrested by the ED in September 2023 on allegations related to money laundering and diversion of loans amounting to ₹538.62 crore that had been provided to Jet Airways by Canara Bank.

Subsequently, Anita Goyal was arrested in November 2023 following the submission of the ED's chargesheet in the case. She was granted bail by a special court on the same day of her arrest, taking into account her age and medical condition, as reported by Hindustan Times.

In February, a special court denied bail to Naresh Goyal but permitted his admission to a private hospital for medical treatment. Following this, Goyal approached the Bombay High Court seeking bail based on the merits of his case and requesting interim bail on medical grounds.

During the court proceedings, Goyal's counsel Harish Salve urged the court to consider the plea on humanitarian grounds, highlighting the physical and mental strain faced by Goyal due to his health condition and his desire to support his wife during her illness, as per media reports.

The plea faced opposition from the Enforcement Directorate due to the absence of a recent medical report. The ED's counsel, Hiten Venegaonkar, indicated that the agency had no objection to extending Goyal's hospitalization for another four weeks and then obtaining a fresh medical report to assess his health condition.