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Rajasthan High Court permits accused to travel abroad to attend daughter’s engagement ceremony; upholds Right to personal liberty

Rajasthan High Court

Rajasthan High Court

Rajasthan High Court: In an application filed by the petitioner, an accused, seeking permission to travel abroad to attend daughter’s engagement ceremony to be held in Muscat, Oman, a single-judge bench of Arun Monga, J., disposed of the petition and granted the petitioner liberty to file a fresh application seeking permission to travel abroad, subject to reasonable conditions imposed by the trial court.

In the instant matter, the trial court had dismissed petitioner’s application, citing his involvement in a case arising from FIR for various serious offenses, including attempt to murder, unlawful assembly and provisions of the Arms Act.

The petitioner stated that the engagement is to be held in Muscat, Oman, and a visa is already issued to him for the period from 18-07-2024 to 15-10-2024. The petitioner argued that his fundamental right to personal liberty includes the right to travel and attend significant family events, such as his daughter’s engagement. However, the prosecution expressed concerns about the petitioner being a flight risk, potentially evading the judicial process.

The Court opined that

  1. The petitioner has the right to personal liberty, which includes the right to travel and participate in significant family events.

  2. Denying him the opportunity to attend his daughter’s engagement ceremony would cause irreparable emotional harm and infringe upon his right to maintain familial bonds.

  3. There was no reasonable apprehension that the petitioner intended to evade the judicial process, especially since the trial was progressing slowly, with only one witness having been examined out of 27.

  4. The petitioner’s brief travel for the engagement ceremony of his daughter will not adversely impact the ongoing trial.

  5. The emotional and cultural significance of attending the engagement ceremony in person outweighed the suggestion that virtual participation would suffice.

The Court held that the petitioner should be allowed to apply for permission again, by furnishing details of the date of departure, arrival in India, proof of air tickets, and other relevant documents, and the trial court should impose reasonable conditions to ensure his return to India and his participation in the ongoing trial. The Court granted the petitioner liberty to file a fresh application and disposed of the petition and all others pending applications.

[Mohd. Sadeeque v. State of Rajasthan, 2024 SCC OnLine Raj 2775, Decided on 02-09-2024]


Advocates who appeared in this case :

Mr. Shree Kant Verma, Counsel for the Petitioner

Mr. Vikram Rajpurohit, PP, Counsel for the Respondent

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