No underworld links, says Jet chief Goyal

Jet Airways chairman Naresh Goyal today vehemently denied any link with the underworld saying all agencies have cleared his airline in this connection, and that is why the carrier has been allowed to fly to the United States.

"This is completely false. It is all politically motivated and everyone knows. All agencies have cleared us, and that is why we are flying to the States," Goyal told CNN-IBN in New York.

"We have already been cleared by the State Department and by the Indian government, and that is why we are going to start our flights from August 5," he added.

A division bench of the Bombay High Court on June 21 had pulled up the Maharashtra police for not taking action on a complaint of Goyal's alleged underworld connection.

Chief Justice Swatanter Kumar and Justice S C Dharmadhikari have also asked the concerned police officer to be present in court on July 19, when the case comes up for hearing.

The public interest litigation (PIL), filed by social activist M Furquan, has alleged that Goyal had links with underworld don Dawood Ibrahim and his aide Chhota Shakeel, and the nexus could hamper national security.

The court will look into the demand of a CBI inquiry into the matter, petitioner's lawyer K T Thomas had said.

Jet Airways has been allegedly funded by fugitives, Thomas said.

This was the third time that the petitioner filed such a PIL against Goyal.