Jet Airways founder Naresh Goyal gets 2 months of interim medical bail in money laundering case

The Bombay High Court on Monday granted interim bail for two months on medical grounds to Jet Airways founder Naresh Goyal in connection with a money laundering case connected with Canara Bank.

The bench of Justice NJ Jamadar said Goyal shall pay a surety of Rs one lakh and shall not leave Mumbai without prior permission from the special court. "The applicant (Goyal) shall be released on interim bail for a period of two months. He shall abide by all conditions imposed," Justice Jamadar said.

The court also directed Goyal to surrender his passport.

Goyal, was arrested in a money laundering case, sought interim bail on medical and humanitarian grounds as both he and his wife Anita Goyal are suffering from cancer.

In February this year, a special court had in February refused Goyal bail but permitted him to be admitted in a private hospital of his choice and seek medical treatment. The bail plea was formally rejected in March this year by the lower court after which Goyal moved a bail plea in High court seeking bail on merits and to be released on interim bail on medical grounds.

While Goyal's counsel Harish Salve and Aabad Ponda along with Ameet Naik had urged the court to consider the case on humanitarian grounds as he himself is suffering from cancer, ED's lawyers Hiten Venegaonkar and Aayush Kedia had vehemently opposed the bail and said the agency did not have any problem if his hospitalization was extended.

Venegaonkar had submitted that the court may extend his hospitalization for a period of four weeks and then call for a fresh medical report to assess his situation.

Salve, however, said apart from deteriorating physical health, Goyal's mental health was also not good.

Goyal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in September 2023 on allegations that he had laundered money and siphoned off loans to the tune of Rs 538.62 crore given to Jet Airways by Canara Bank.

His wife, Anita Goyal was arrested in November 2023 when the ED submitted its chargesheet in the case. She was granted bail by the special court the same day considering her age and medical condition.