The Supreme Court on Thursday granted permission to controversial 'godman' Chandraswami to travel abroad on the condition that he deposits Rs 10 lakh as security with the trial court.
A vacation bench of Justices V S Sirpurkar and R M Lodha passed the directions while dismissing an appeal filed by the Enforcement Directorate, challenging the permission granted by the Delhi High Court earlier on Chandraswami's plea.
The ED had opposed Chandraswami's plea on the ground that he had several criminal cases registered against him and is suspected of funding the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi.
Senior counsel Mukul Rohtagi, appearing for the controversial godman, had on May 26 strongly pleaded that his client be permitted to travel abroad as he had been acquitted of all criminal cases registered against him, except the nine-odd cases registered against him by the ED.
The apex court said that the conditions imposed by the high court were sufficient and rejected the argument of the Enforcement Directorate that if Chandraswami is allowed to go abroad, he would not return to the country.
