Delhi HC allows Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) to interrogate former Fortis Healthcare promoter Shivinder Mohan Singh, his brother Malvinder and two others in connection with an ongoing probe into the affairs of Religare Enterprises Ltd (REL) a

The Delhi High Court has allowed the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) to interrogate former Fortis Healthcare promoter Shivinder Mohan Singh, his brother Malvinder and two others in connection with an ongoing probe into the affairs of Religare Enterprises Ltd (REL) and Religare Finvest Ltd (RFL).

RFL is a group firm of REL, which was earlier promoted by Malvinder and his brother Shivinder. PTI HMP

Justice Vibhu Bakhru allowed the SFIO to interrogate the Singh brothers, former CMD of REL Sunil Godhwani and Kavi Arora for two weeks from January 1, 2021 onwards.

All the four were arrested by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Delhi Police last year for allegedly diverting RFL's money and investing in other companies.

However, the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) had directed SFIO to investigate affairs of REL in 2018 and thereafter in February this year, it was also asked to probe into the affairs of RFL.

The SFIO had moved the High Court against a September 22 order of the trial Court denying it permission to examine the four who are presently in judicial custody. The said Court had denied the permission saying that the agency was allowed to examine them earlier and that was sufficient.

The High Court disagreed with the trial court decision saying "if SFIO requires to examine the respondents (Singh brothers and others) and interrogate them in respect of certain facts that have emerged during the course of investigation, the petitioner (SFIO), as an investigating agency, must be granted full access to the respondents to do so".

The counsel for Shivinder said that his client has no objection to being examined by the SFIO officials but due to the prevailing COVID-19 pandemic the number of officials examining them be limited to bare minimum.

The Court said that the apprehension expressed by Shivinder was understandable and directed the SFIO to ensure that the officials in its team deputed to interrogate the respondents do not exceed three in number.