Despite EOW Protests, Delhi HC Allows Ashneer Grover, Madhuri Jain To Travel Abroad ‘Separately’

Even as the Economic Offences Wing’s investigation into the alleged fraud at BharatPe continues, the company’s cofounder and former MD Ashneer Grover and his spouse Madhuri Jain Grover — the former head of controls at BharatPe — are set to be granted permission by the Delhi High Court to visit the US separately. 

Grover and Madhuri had moved the court seeking permission to travel to the US with their children for summer school. However, the EOW had objected to this plea claiming that the duo were a flight risk thanks to them owning properties abroad. 

Hearing the petition, Justice Subramonium Prasad said there would be a detailed order from the court on Friday, May 24. However, prima facie the court has allowed the duo to travel to the US, separately on different dates. 

The court is awaiting the conditions for travel from the EOW.

As per a report by Moneycontrol, the court has allowed Grover to travel to the US on May 26, with his return to India scheduled for June 14. On the other hand, wife Madhuri has been permitted to leave for the US on June 15, and return to India on July 1.

While Justice Prasad indicated one of the two could travel with their children, the EOW objected to Madhuri going to the US, alleging that she is the “kingpin” of the alleged INR 81 Cr fraud at BharatPe.

The EOW added the probe into the case against Grover and his family had reached an advanced and crucial stage, alleging Jain was not cooperating in the investigation. However, Giriraj Subramanium, the lawyer representing Grover, rebuked EOW’s claims, saying the couple was fully cooperating in the investigation. 

EOW Probe Against Ashneer, Madhuri Ongoing

The EOW investigation stems from allegations of fraud and embezzlement against Grover and Madhuri, raised in late 2023. 

As we reported in November 2023, the EOW found a host of unexplained payments made to allegedly fake HR consultancies by former cofounder Ashneer Grover, his wife and the company’s former head of controls Madhuri Jain Grover as well as Madhuri Jain’s family members.

The accused are alleged to have used backdated invoices to syphon funds from BharatPe’s accounts towards payments of commissions for recruitment work, as per a status report filed by the EOW in the Delhi HC last year. 

The EOW’s investigation into BharatPe’s complaint of fraud is said to be looking into payments to allegedly fake HR consultancies to the tune of INR 7.6 Cr, the payment of INR 1.66 Cr as penalty to GST authorities and alleged embezzlement of INR 71.76 Cr via fictitious transactions. The total amount alleged to have been involved in these transactions could be well over INR 81 Cr as the EOW probe is currently still ongoing

Soon after that, the duo were barred from leaving the country without a court order thanks to a lookout circular (LOC) issued by the EOW. In light of the LOC, Grover and his wife had moved the Delhi High Court seeking its permission to travel abroad.