Mumbai: Shedding light on the Saturday incident of stopping former Jet Chairman Naresh Goyal from flying out of India, immigration sources have revealed that they were offloaded after the flight returned to bay from taxiway. According to sources, on May 25, Dubai-bound Emirates flight EK-507 with 351 passengers and 17 crew members onboard, returned from taxiway due to some immigration issues, which later turned out to be related to a look-out-circular issued against the former Jet Airways Chairman.
Sources said that as the Serious Fraud Investigation Office and Enforcement Directorate are inquiring cases related to Jet Airways and circular has been issued against Goyal, his family members, and others so that they do not flee the country. On the direction of Immigration Officials, airline officials offloaded Naresh Goyal and his wife Anita Goyal.
Yesterday, Goyal and his wife Anita were denied permission to travel abroad. Confirming the development, an Emirates spokesperson said they cooperated with relevant authorities. “Emirates is co-operating fully with the relevant authorities and we abide by the laws of the various countries we operate in,” Emirates Spokesperson said in a statement.
On March 25, Goyal, the then Jet Airways Chairman, had stepped down, paving way for lenders to bail out the financially troubled airline he set up 25 years ago. Jet has been suffering bruising competition from low-cost airlines, fluctuating crude prices and a weak rupee. The airline has over one billion dollars in debt and has to repay money to banks, lessors of planes and suppliers besides clearing pending salaries to its pilots.