NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court Monday quashed a Look Out Circular (LOC) issued against journalist Rana Ayyub by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and allowed her to travel abroad, saying that the LOC was issued in ‘haste’ and there was no cogent reason for presuming that she will not appear before the investigating agency.
The high court said a LOC is a coercive measure to make a person surrender and consequentially interferes with the petitioner’s right to personal liberty and free movement. “It is to be issued in cases where the accused is deliberately evading summons/ arrest or where such person fails to appear in court despite a Non-Bailable Warrant,” the court order said.
“In the instant case, there is no contradiction by the ED to the submission of the petitioner that she has appeared on each and every date before the investigating agency when summoned, and hence, there is no cogent reason for presuming that the petitioner would not appear before the investigation agency and hence, no case is made out for issuing the impugned LOC,” Justice Chandra Dhari Singh said in a six-page order.