By Jaison Wilson
New Delhi, May 27 (IANS): A court here has allowed Anup K. Pujari, former Joint Secretary, Ministry of Finance, who is an accused in the INX Media case, to travel abroad from June 15 to August 16.
Pujari was also a member of the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) when the money laundering case surfaced, in which former Finance Minister P. Chidambaram, his son Karti and others were allegedly involved.
The applicant was seeking permission claiming that he needed to visit the US for pursuing a teaching assignment at Harvard University, Boston, where he has been invited to teach Economics to the incoming class of Mid Career Master of Public Administration (MCMPA).
Pujari submitted that he is a retired bureaucrat having served the government in different capacities, has never been arrested by the probe agency and is not a 'flight risk'.
It has also been submitted that the applicant has been associated with Harvard University since 1991 and after his retirement, in February 2016 he claims to have taught Economics at the above-said programme annually.
Allowing the plea, Special CBI Judge M.K Nagpal on Thursday directed the former IAS officer to deposit a security deposit of Rs 5 lakh and submit his complete travel itinerary, and contact details in the foreign country before the court and investigating officer.Though he is one of the accused in the case, he was summoned only one time, he claimed and also stated that he was not arrested by the CBI during the investigation of the case.
The applicant as well as some other similarly placed accused, who were not arrested in the case, were granted bail by the court on February 2, 2020, on the condition that he shall not leave the country without the permission of the court, his plea said. CBI opposed the application citing the duration in the foreign country is too long.
The applicant claimed that the apprehensions being expressed on behalf of CBI about his absconding or fleeing from justice and not returning back to the country to face trial also appear to be mere apprehensions and the same are not found to be based on any material or reasons.