Travelling abroad is a fundamental right under Article 21 of the Constitution, said a Delhi court allowing a woman accused in a money laundering case to visit Thailand because of her children’s summer vacations.
Vacation Judge Rajesh Malik granted relief to Reena Goel, an accused in the case in which properties in the Karol Bagh area were attached under the anti-money laundering law as part of an investigation into a multi-crore bank loan fraud.
According to the Enforcement Directorate, the properties attached under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act allegedly belonging to Ginni Gold Private Limited and its promoters Ginni Devi and Reena Goel.
Goel, who was granted bail in December 2025 on the condition that she would not leave the country without prior court approval, sought permission to travel to Thailand for her children’s summer vacations from June 25 to July 2.
In its order, the court said it needed to balance the right of the accused to travel abroad against the grounds for refusing such permission. Permission could be denied if there were credible reasons to believe that the accused might abscond.
However, the court found that the ED had failed to provide any material suggesting that Goel intended to flee from justice. It also observed that there was no indication that she was making investments abroad or planning to settle outside India. “Mere being an accused does not suffice to stop her from travelling abroad,” the court said.
