Sirajuddin Qureshi & Ors. vs. Union of India & Ors.
Background
The petitioners, facing fraud-related allegations, challenged Look Out Circulars (LOCs) issued against them at the instance of certain banks and the CBI. They had already been granted bail with no travel restrictions and had, in fact, traveled abroad multiple times during the case without any misuse of that liberty.
Decision Breakdown
The Court held that a bank's fear that the petitioners might flee, or its unresolved financial claim, cannot by itself justify keeping an LOC alive indefinitely, especially where the petitioners' bail conditions impose no travel curbs and their track record shows no misuse. It quashed the LOCs issued at the banks' instance, while leaving the LOCs issued at CBI's instance to be addressed through an application before the trial court (since those criminal proceedings are still pending there).
Lesson Learnt
A Look Out Circular is not meant to operate forever on mere suspicion: if a person has consistently complied with bail conditions and traveled abroad without incident, that record can be strong grounds to get the LOC lifted.