Thaindian News

New Delhi, Sep 21 (IANS) The Delhi High Court Wednesday allowed arms dealer Suresh Nanda, accused of receiving kickbacks in the purchase of Israeli Barak missiles in 2000, to go abroad for two weeks.

Justice Mukta Gupta allowed Nanda to go to Britain on furnishing the surety worth Rs.50 crore to ensure his return to the country to face the probe.

He is also facing probe in another case of bribing an Income Tax official in 2008.

“The trial court is directed to permit the petitioner to go to London for a period of two weeks on furnishing a fresh itinerary and his address where he would be staying in the UK,” the court said.

“The petitioner is also directed to submit the security of self-owned property worth Rs.50 crore (as a surety),” said the court, adding that the travel ofthe petitioner cannot be withheld indefinitely. That would be violative of his fundamental rights, it noted.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) 2008 arrested Suresh Nanda, son of former Indian Navy chief Admiral S.M. Nanda, and his son Sanjeev from a hotel in Mumbai.

The CBI has accused Nanda of receiving Rs.4 million ($99,943.82) in kickbacks after a deal to purchase Israeli Barak missiles was signed during the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) regime.

The $100 million (Rs.3.9 billion) deal had come under the scanner after it was alleged that then defence minister George Fernandes had overruled, at the behest of Nanda, the opinion of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) that it could develop a system similar to the Barak.