3 min readNew DelhiMar 21, 2026 03:57 AM ISTThe HC has, however, asked the couple to furnish an undertaking that they shall appear before the investigating authority as and when required or directed and fully cooperate with any proceeding in this regard.THE DELHI High Court on Friday quashed look out circulars (LOCs) issued by the Bureau of Immigration (BoI)in 2019 against former directors and promoters of NDTV Prannoy Roy and Radhika Roy, holding that such prolonged continuation of LOCs restricting their right to travel is “disproportionate and arbitrary”.Asserting that the right to travel abroad is an integral part of the right to life and personal liberty under Article 21 of the Constitution, Justice Sachin Datta held that the continued operation of the LOCs against the petitioners is an unjustified curtailment of their fundamental right, which cannot be sustained in law.The HC has, however, asked the couple to furnish an undertaking that they shall appear before the investigating authority as and when required or directed and fully cooperate with any proceeding in this regard.A look out circular was first issued against the Roys in 2019 by the BoI following a request by the CBI. This was valid for a year. Subsequently an LOC was issued against the Roys again, at the request of the CBI through the BOI, effective from January 11, 2021, which now stands quashed. The CBI had lodged an FIR against the Roys and others in August 2019 — a second FIR, by the agency after CBI filed the first FIR in 2017 — for cheating and under the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.According to the CBI, between May 2004 and May 2010, NDTV Ltd. allegedly floated approximately 32 subsidiary firms across various jurisdictions, including tax havens, for the purpose of routing funds from abroad. However, no chargesheet has been filed till date and a closure report was filed in the first CBI FIR, which was accepted by a court in 2025, effectively closing the proceedings of the first FIR.Noting that the Roys have been “subjected” to the LOCs for over five years “despite the fact that they have never declined to cooperate with the investigation, have never attempted to abscond from the jurisdiction of the Court, and that no chargesheet has been filed since the registration of the FIR”, the court recorded that denying them the ability to freely travel abroad “for such a prolonged period, in the absence of any material justifying such restriction itself constitutes a substantial prejudice”.Sohini Ghosh is a Senior Correspondent at The Indian Express. Previously based in Ahmedabad covering Gujarat, she recently moved to the New Delhi bureau, where she primarily covers legal developments at the Delhi High Court Professional Profile Background: An alumna of the Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), she previously worked with ET NOW before joining The Indian Express. Core Beats: Her reporting is currently centered on the Delhi High Court, with a focus on high-profile constitutional disputes, disputes over intellectual property, criminal and civil cases, issues of human rights and regulatory law (especially in the areas of technology and healthcare). Earlier Specialty: In Gujarat, she was known for her rigorous coverage in the beats of crime, law and policy, and social justice issues, including the 2002 riot cases, 2008 serial bomb blast case, 2016 flogging of Dalits in Una, among others. She has extensively covered health in the state, including being part of the team that revealed the segregation of wards at the state’s largest government hospital on lines of faith in April 2020. With Ahmedabad being a UNESCO heritage city, she has widely covered urban development and heritage issues, including the redevelopment of the Sabarmati Ashram Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Her recent reporting from the Delhi High Court covers major political, constitutional, corporate, and public-interest legal battles: High-Profile Case Coverage She has extensively covered the various legal battles - including for compensation under the aegis of North East Delhi Riots Claims Commission - pertaining to the 2020 northeast Delhi riots, as well as 1984 anti-Sikh riots. She has also led coverage at the intersection of technology and governance, and its impact on the citizenry, from, and beyond courtrooms — such as the government’s stakeholder consultations for framing AI-Deepfake policy. Signature Style Sohini is recognized for her sustained reporting from courtrooms and beyond. She specialises in breaking down dense legal arguments to make legalese accessible for readers. Her transition from Gujarat to Delhi has seen her expand her coverage on regulatory, corporate and intellectual property law, while maintaining a strong commitment to human rights and lacuna in the criminal justice system. X (Twitter): @thanda_ghosh ... Read More © The Indian Express Pvt LtdTags:delhi high courtNew Delhi