Gaurav Goenka Vs State of Maharashtra (Bombay High Court)
Bombay High Court permitted audio-video appearance before investigating officer for recording of statement in view of Economic Offences Wing’s (EOW) directions to withhold the renewal of the petitioner’s passport. Accordingly, petition stands allowed.
Facts- The petitioner is a NRI, presently residing in the UAE since the year 2017, where he is engaged in business activities. The petitioner holds a valid Indian Passport. The petitioner, in due course, submitted an application for the renewal of his Indian Passport at the BLS office in Dubai.
On 28 November 2024, the petitioner received an email from the Passport Section of the Consulate General of India (CGI), Dubai, stating that a remark had been recorded in his file by the Regional Passport Office, Mumbai. The petitioner came to understand that the requirement for clearance from the EOW, Mumbai, had been cited as the reason for withholding the passport renewal.
With a bonafide intention to cooperate with the investigation, the petitioner addressed a letter dated 13 February 2025 to the EOW, Mumbai, wherein he voluntarily expressed his willingness to participate in the investigation and offered to have his statement recorded through audio-video electronic means. However, the said communication elicited no response from the EOW.
