The Delhi High Court on Thursday exempted two accused from physically appearing before the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in Mumbai in connection with a case related to alleged irregularities in managing the Mumbai International Airport, in view of the red-alert issued due to heavy rains.
A bench of Justice Vibhu Bhakru, while hearing the plea of two accused -- Ankit Aggarwal and Manoj Kumar Bansal -- for exemption, said that the petitioners are not presently required to go to Mumbai, in view of the travel restrictions due to COVID-19 and red-alert due to extreme rains.
The bench said that the CBI is at liberty to have them joined through video conference.
Counsel for the CBI submitted that considering the COVID-19 condition and the red alert declared, presently the CBI is not insisting upon the physical appearance of the petitioners and said that they may be made to join investigation through video conferencing.
Ankit Aggarwal is the Managing Director of Kotia Enterprises Limited and Manoj Kumar Bansal is the Managing Director of SBK Trade and Infrastructure Private Limited.
The plea filed through advocate Deepanshu Choithani claimed that the petitioners have received notice in Delhi, but are required to join investigation in Mumbai. It also cited that red alert has been declared in Mumbai, owing to the weather conditions there.
Advocate Vijay Aggarwal, appearing for the petitioner, argued that the situation in Mumbai is worsening both due to the COVID-19 as well as the red alert declared due to the extreme rains and cited the newspaper reports regarding the same and thus prayed that the petitioners may be permitted to join investigation through video conferencing.
The High Court had on Wednesday allowed Sartaj Ali, the Managing Director of Nice Projects Limited, to appear before the CBI for questioning through video-conferencing in connection with the Mumbai International Airport matter.
