Goyal's interim bail may be extended for 3 weeks if he is examined at Tata Hospital: ED to Bombay HC

Mumbai: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday told the Bombay High Court that the two-month interim bail granted to Jet Airways founder Naresh Goyal on medical grounds may be extended for three weeks provided he gets himself medically examined at the Tata Cancer Hospital.

On May 6, the high court had granted interim bail for two months on medical grounds to Goyal, arrested in a money laundering case by the ED.

Seventy-five-year-old Goyal has now filed an application seeking extension of the same.

Goyal's counsel Aabad Ponda on Wednesday told a single bench of Justice N J Jamadar that his (Goyal) health condition continues to remain poor and even his mental health is worsening.

"He is in a depressive state. He is having suicidal thoughts. He has seen his wife suffer and die and now he himself is going through the same," Ponda said.

The counsel submitted a report of a psychiatrist who had examined Goyal.

ED's counsel Hiten Venegaonkar then told the court that a proper medical report is required.

"Let the interim bail be extended for three weeks but he should be examined at the Tata Cancer Hospital and a proper medical report can be submitted to this court," Venegaonkar said.

Ponda then said Goyal was not keen on going to the Tata Cancer hospital.

The senior counsel said the three-week period could be made four weeks so that Goyal could then undergo a preliminary laparoscopic surgery.

"After this preliminary surgery, he has to undergo another surgery for his cancer treatment. The preliminary surgery can be done in four weeks," Ponda said.

The court then directed Ponda to file an affidavit on this and posted the matter for further hearing on Thursday.

Goyal was arrested by the 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. She died on May 16.