PANAJI: The Bombay High Court at Goa has ordered the release of the passport of Churchill Alemão which was confiscated by the Special Court in Panjim in connection with the Louis Berger Case pending against him.
Alemão filed a petition before the High Court requesting that the order of the Additional Sessions Judge who refused to release the passport of the petitioner permanently, on the ground that his presence should be ensured during trial, be overturned.
Churchill, who is being prosecuted for an offence punishable under Sections 7, 8, 9 and 13 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, and under Section 120-B of the Indian Penal Code, argued that he is a frequent flyer who has to travel abroad to countries like Bahrain and the United Kingdom, due to various reasons, such as his routine medical checkup, as well as to visit his daughter who is studying in Bahrain.
His plea was not opposed by the Public Prosecutor who told the Court that on previous occasions also, the passport of the petitioner was released in order to facilitate him to travel abroad, and there was no breach of any conditions in the past.
“Under such circumstances, no fruitful purpose would be served by detaining the passport of the petitioner permanently. The passport of the petitioner shall be released forthwith. It is made clear that whenever there is an occasion for the petitioner to visit any foreign country, he should give 15 days advance intimation to the concerned Court, as well as details of his itinerary,” High Court Judge Prithviraj Chavan ruled.
