New Delhi, Jul 8: Former President of Medical Council of India Ketan Desai, facing prosecution in various corruption cases, was today allowed by a Delhi court to visit the USA for treatment of his sleeping disorder.
“After careful consideration, no compelling reason to decline permission to the accused (Desai) has been found. Since all the lookout circulars against the accused (Desai) issued by different branches of CBI in different cases have been withdrawn, the accused is allowed to travel abroad,” Special CBI Judge Sanjeev Jain said.
Desai has moved an application seeking permission to travel to New York from July 10 to July 25 for treatment of “Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome at the Wyckoff Height Medical College under Dr Hrish Patel.”
The court has imposed various conditions on Desai and asked him to submit his travel itinerary to the court. He is also required to submit a surety and his passport within 48 hours of his return here.
Desai was arrested on April 22 by CBI along with three others—JP Singh, Kulwant and Sukhwinder—for allegedly accepting Rs two crore bribe to give permission to Gyan Sagar Medical College at Patiala to induct a fresh batch of students without having the requisite infrastructure.
Later, CBI and Enforcement Directorate lodged two fresh cases relating to amassing disproportionate assets and under money laundering charge respectively.
Desai has been booked by ED in a case lodged under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) after it came to light that the other co-accused laundered money.
Searches at various premises of Desai were alleged to have led to seizure of huge amounts of cash, investments and gold, all worth several crores of rupees, CBI alleged.
Besides an FIR under the Prevention of Corruption Act, Desai, who was forced to resign from now disbanded MCI, has been slapped with various cases relating to alleged Income Tax evasion, amassing wealth beyond known sources of his income and money laundering. PTI
