Court allows khichdi scam accused to travel to Delhi for representing Sena UBT | Mumbai News
A special court in Mumbai permitted Suraj Chavan, a close aide of Sena UBT leader Aaditya Thackeray and an accused in the khichdi scam, to travel to Delhi for “discharging important official and legal duties” in connection with the functioning of the party.
The court allowed Chavan to travel to Delhi for 20 days this month, after furnishing an itinerary to the investigation officer of the Enforcement Directorate, which had arrested him in January 2024. Chavan was granted bail in February this year by the Bombay High Court.
“The applicant (Chavan) wanted to travel to Delhi for discharging important official and legal duties in connection with the functioning of Shiv Sena (UBT) and to represent the party before the Election Commission of India and to consult Senior Legal Counsels in relation to the pending proceeding before the Hon’ble Supreme Court concerning intra-party disputes and to attend the party meeting with the elected Members of Parliament belonging to Shiv Sena (UBT) at New Delhi. He is ready to obey the orders of the Court,” the court said, referring to Chavan’s plea.
His lawyers also had submitted that the right to travel is an aspect of fundamental right guaranteed by the Constitution, and that there is nothing to show that he had previously misused the liberty granted to him.
“Considering the nature of application and purpose of travel, coupled with the fact that it will take time for trial to commence, the applicant is entitled to travel on certain conditions,” the court said in the order passed last week. He was directed to pay a deposit of Rs 1 lakh as security and to inform the ED on his return.
Chavan was arrested by the ED alleging irregularities in work orders issued by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to supply khichdi to migrant workers during the Covid-19 pandemic.
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