The Delhi High Court has observed that there is no point in continuing with the Look Out Circulars (LOCs) issued against NDTV’s former promoters, Prannoy Roy and Radhika Roy, by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Justice Sachin Datta made this oral remark during a hearing on Thursday, while considering the petitions filed by the Roys against the LOCs.
"It will be futile to continue with this LOC," the court stated, while noting that there appeared to be no remaining purpose served by keeping the LOCs in place.
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The LOCs were initially opened in 2019 after the registration of two FIRs by the CBI, dated June 2, 2017, and August 19, 2019. The Roys had approached the High Court seeking quashing of the LOCs, which they argued were no longer necessary.
During the hearing, the counsel appearing on behalf of the Roys told the Court that both Prannoy and Radhika Roy had fully cooperated with the investigation. The counsel said that they responded to all the summons issued to them in 2019 and had never tried to evade the process of law.
They have always complied with the summons and have even been permitted to travel abroad multiple times, the Roys’ counsel emphasized. He further argued that when an investigation continues for several years without any closure and the accused continues to cooperate, that becomes a valid ground to reconsider the need for restrictive measures like LOCs.
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The CBI, however, defended the issuance and continuation of the LOC. The counsel for the agency argued that the LOC was necessary to keep a watch on the movements of the Roys, as the case involves international elements.
"The LOC was issued to monitor their movements, considering the international ramifications of the case," the CBI counsel said.
After briefly hearing both sides, the Court decided to list the matter for further hearing on July 10, 2025.
The petitions filed by the Roys challenge the legality and necessity of the LOCs in light of their continued cooperation and the prolonged nature of the investigation. Notably, in January 2023, a coordinate bench of the Delhi High Court had also made a similar observation while hearing the same matter. At that time, the Court had noted:
"The LOC cannot continue in perpetuity… the matter cannot go on like this."
The observations made by the Court on Thursday suggest a growing judicial inclination to review and possibly end the LOCs if no fresh reasons are provided by the investigating agency.
The outcome of the next hearing in July is likely to determine the fate of the LOCs against Prannoy Roy and Radhika Roy, who are no longer associated with NDTV but continue to be subjects of CBI scrutiny based on the two FIRs registered in 2017 and 2019.
