Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court has allowed Suman Mahendra Kumar Singhi, 46, to travel abroad to participate in the international swimming event, for which she has been invited by the Catalina Channel Swimming Federation, Los Angeles, California scheduled to be held from August 6.
The petitioner Suman, and her husband Suman Mahendra Singhi, owners of Steel Hypermart India Pvt Ltd, are accused in the GST scam to the tune of Rs 230 crore. It is alleged the two and the chartered accountant claimed several crore of rupees as input tax credit by producing fake invoices of steel trading.
Later, the petitioner had approached seeking anticipatory bail, to which the court had allowed by imposing certain conditions. Lately, she had again approached the court to relax conditions that she shall not leave the jurisdiction of the court without prior permission, and not leave the country along with direction to surrender the original passport before the jurisdictional court
Petitioner had complied with all the conditions except surrendering of the passport. She has participated in several international swimming competitions including swimming through English Channel conducted by the Channel Swimming Association.
"When the petitioner is intending to participate in the “Catalina Channel Swimming Federation”, and as it is an international swimming event scheduled from August 6 and even the invitation has also been produced along with the petition inviting the petitioner to participate in the said event, I feel that when the petitioner is representing the country and participating in the international swimming event, I feel that if by imposing conditions if the earlier conditions are relaxed, then it is going to meet the ends of justice," the court ordered.
However, the court had made it clear that the petitioner shall undertake that she will not extend her stay in USA beyond three weeks and she will come back and report to the Investigating Officer and thereafter she shall not leave the country without prior permission. She shall also surrender the original passport to the Investigating Officer after her return.
