The Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected a plea of Essar Group promoter Ravi Ruia, facing trial in a case arising out of the 2G scam probe, to go abroad for business purposes, saying it does not want “to take chances”.
Without naming any particular person, the bench of Justices JS Khehar and Arun Mishra said the last time they allowed a person to go abroad, “he never came back.”
Justice JS Khehar and Arun Mishra said:
We have allowed a person to go abroad but he never came back. He was no less big than you in monetary terms. We don’t want to take chances now. We are now once bitten twice shy. We are not going to give liberty to anyone.
While the apex court dismissed the petition of Ruia who wanted to visit the UK, the US, Canada and the UAE for business purposes, he was also denied permission for the same by a special court in 2015.
Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for Ruia, said he cannot be allowed to suffer “if some Mr X has cheated the court.”
To this, the bench said “it is because you are also similarly situated.”
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