AHMED A. R. BUHARI Vs. UNION OF INDIA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Petitioner has come up with the present Writ Petition seeking a direction to the 2nd Respondent to forthwith lift the Lookout Circular in F.No.ECIR/CEZO/I/01/2018 and allow him to travel to Singapore, Malaysia and United Kingdom from 7/2/2022 till 7/9/2022.

(2.) According to the Petitioner, he is a Non-resident Indian and a citizen of the Republic of Singapore and is the founder-President and CEO of the Coal and Oil Group, which is an Integrated Energy and Infrastructure Company, engaged in the production of power and providing fuel solutions. In the year 2017, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence issued a Show Cause Notice to the Petitioner under the Customs Act, 1962, proposing to reject declared values, to re-determine the same, to confiscate and for levying of penalties in respect of the transactions relating to the years 2011-2012 and 2014-2015, where the said Company had imported coal of Indonesian origin for the use of NTPC or ACPCL.

(3.) On 22/1/2018, the EOW, Central Bureau of Investigation had registered a F.I.R. in RC.221/2018/E-003 as against the Petitioner representing Coastal Energy Pvt. Ltd. and some other unknown Officials of the Public Sector Undertakings such as MMTC, NTPC, ACPCL, etc. for offences under Sec. 120(B) r/w Sec. 420 I.P.C. read with Sec. 13(2) r/w Sec. 3(1)(d) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. Consequent to the registration of the aforesaid complaint by the CBI, a Lookout Circular was also issued against the Petitioner by the CBI.