Avinash Bhosale to get back passport

DNA CorrespondentThe Bombay high court on Tuesday directed the enforcement directorate (ED) to return the passport of Pune businessman Avinash Bhosale, who has been accused of evading customs duty, to him.

The ED is investigating FEMA violation to the tune of $4 lakh by Bhosale. The case was registered in May 2007.

A division bench of chief justice Swatanter Kumar and justice VM Kanade, however, said his passport should be released only after he furnishes documents the ED requires for its investigation, including those pertaining to his monetary transactions in India and abroad, and bank account and credit card statements from 1997 till date.

 Bhosale was arrested at the Chhatrapati Shivaji airport in May 2007 after he was intercepted with undeclared dutiable goods and lakh of rupees in cash.

“It appears that he does not want to cooperate with the directorate,” the ED said in its affidavit. Additional solicitor general Rajendra Raghuvanshi opposed the release of Bhosale’s passport saying inquiry into the matter is still on.

Bhosale had moved the high court seeking the release of his passport, which was handed over to the ED by the the customs officials for investigations.

The ED informed the court that Bhosale had advanced a loan of $1,70,000 to a man named Ali Asgar in January 2008 and he had admitted to having deposited $1,48,954 to clear his credit card dues.