Immigration Dept. prevents Naresh G from leaving India
Naresh Goyal, promoter and former Chairman of Jet Airways, and his wife Anita Goyal were stopped from travelling abroad. The couple was deplaned on instructions from the Immigration Department at the Mumbai airport .
“Mr. Naresh Goyal and Anita Goyal travelling on EK 507 were restricted from leaving the country. The aircraft had reached taxi way when it was recalled,” an airport official said. Multiple airport and government officials confirmed the incident. Authorities are looking into whether the Goyal couple was trying to flee the country. The officials have confirmed that a lookout circular had been put against the Jet Airways founders as per instructions by lenders of Jet Airways.
The incident took place at around 4 p.m. The couple had cleared immigration and the flight was close to the runway when they were asked to return.
“Only two agencies have the power to recall an aircraft. One is customs and the other is immigration. In this case the immigration had called the aircraft back,” said an airport official.
Several large suitcases booked in the name of the couple were also bought down, officials said.
Commenting on the matter an Emirates Spokesperson said “Emirates is co-operating fully with the relevant authorities and we abide by the laws of the various countries we operate in.”.
The airline is struggling with a debt of more than $1.2 billion, and owes money to lessors, suppliers, pilots and oil companies. Lenders of the now-grounded Jet Airways have taken a controlling stake in the airline, and are currently in the process of selling a stake to recover their dues. The Airways, been grounded since April 18, has a bank debt of ₹8000 crore and has been put up for sale by the lenders.
In February the lenders had forced the Goyal couple to resign as part of a bank led resolution plan. Since grounding almost the entire top management has resigned. All except two directors have stepped down. The senior staff have not been paid since January while other employees have remained unpaid since April.
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