SC to hear plea against Jet's Goyal on Oct 26

The Supreme Court will hear a petition alleging that Jet Airways chairman Naresh Goyal has links with the underworld on October 26.

An appeal filed by M Furquan, a Delhi-based journalist, has alleged that funds for Jet Airways was given by underworld don Dawood Ibrahim. He has also sought a CBI inquiry into the matter.

A bench, headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan, refused to adjourn the matter by a week from the listed date of October 26 when Jet counsel Ankur Chawla mentioned that senior counsel Harish Salve was not available. Salve had appeared for Jet in the Bombay High Court on the same matter.

The bench directed that the matter be listed as per the given date after the petitioner's counsel opposed the adjournment.

Chawla argued that the petitioner had not submitted documents related to the home ministry's clearance to Goyal regarding his alleged connection with the underworld. He said Furquan also did not submit documents relating to the approval given by US aviation authorities to Jet Airways for flying to America.

Furquan has challenged the Bombay High Court judgement that dismissed a public interest litigation alleging that Goyal had links with underworld dons Dawood Ibrahim and Chhota Shakeel, and this nexus could jeopardise national security.

He alleged that Goyal had illegally received investment from Dawood and used it to buy assets for the carrier.

Opposing the PIL before the High Court, Jet Airways had said sources of funding for the acquisition of Air Sahara were 'legitimate' and the allegations that its chairman Naresh Goyal has underworld links were 'false'.

Regarding the money for the acquisition for Air Sahara, Jet had submitted that it had used its internal funds, including those raised through its IPO, in 2005.