Objecting to Sebi lawyer Arvind Datar’s comments about Roy having sought permission to go abroad weeks before being jailed, Sahara’s Counsel Gautam Awasthi said that his statement “tends to mislead by creating an impression as if ‘Saharasri’ Subrata Roy Sahara wanted to go abroad before incarceration”.
Roy is referred to as ‘Saharasri’ in his group, which has been engaged in a long-drawn battle with the markets regulator Sebi over collection of funds totalling nearly Rs 25,000 crore from an estimated three crore investors through certain bonds named OFCDs (Optionally Fully Convertible Debentures).
Delivering a lecture on ‘Sahara vs Sebi’ case here on Friday last, Datar said the Supreme Court had asked Roy not to leave the country when the issue related to a Mumbai property came up during one of the hearings.
“Before the Supreme Court asked him (Roy) to appear, he filed an application to say that he wanted to leave India…
He said he wanted to leave India to meet Bill Clinton and Tony Blair for business discussion. It is on record,” Datar said.
He also said that the court’s order on March 4, 2014, had come as a surprise.
“I don’t know what happened. The court called the court marshal and sent him to jail. It just happened, it was so abrupt. He was asked to come to court and I thought they may ask him to do something,” Datar had said.
Reacting strongly to Datar’s comments, Awasthi said, “The fact however is that, ‘Saharasri’ was abroad and immediately returned to the country on being summoned. In November, 2013, the Supreme Court had restrained ‘Saharasri’ and other directors from leaving the country without permission.
“It is very important to state that subsequently Saharasri was granted permission by Supreme Court to travel abroad for two weeks, yet he did not go abroad.
PTI