Naresh Goyal, founder of Jet Airways, has petitioned the Bombay High Court for an extension of the two-month interim medical bail he was granted previously.

On May 6, the Bombay High Court granted Naresh Goyal interim bail for two months on medical grounds, following his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case.

Now aged 75, Goyal has filed an application requesting an extension of this interim bail. The plea emphasizes that his health condition remains critical, exacerbated by the recent loss of his wife to cancer on May 16.

The application was scheduled for hearing on Tuesday before Justice Manish Pitale, who presided over a single bench. During the proceedings, the court cited a circular issued by the High Court in February, stating that applications where previous pleas were considered and decided by a specific judge should be brought before the same bench.

Justice Pitale instructed the registry department of the high court to transfer Goyal's application to the single bench of Justice N J Jamadar, who had initially granted him interim bail for two months in May. Goyal's lawyers, Aabad Ponda and Ameet Naik, indicated their intention to bring up the plea before Justice Jamadar during proceedings scheduled for Wednesday.

Naresh Goyal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in September 2023 on accusations of money laundering and diverting loans amounting to Rs 538.62 crore that were granted to Jet Airways by Canara Bank. Subsequently, his wife, Anita Goyal, was arrested in November 2023 when the ED filed its chargesheet in the case. On the same day, she was granted bail by the special court due to her age and medical condition. Tragically, she passed away on May 16.