New Delhi, Oct 7: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday permitted a senior director of Vivo Mobile India to travel to Bangkok for four days for official meetings and directed suspension of the Look Out Circular (LOC) issued against him during the period.

A single-judge Bench of Justice Sachin Datta allowed Harinder Dahiya, the company’s Senior Director of Finance and Accounts, to travel to Thailand, from October 12 to 15 for official meetings concerning statutory audit matters, audit and control transformation, litigation, and business and finance strategy at Vivo India.

The High Court also permitted release of his passport and directed that the LOC against him will remain suspended during the four-day period.

Dahiya had challenged the March 19, 2026 order of the Patiala House Courts, which had rejected his plea seeking setting aside of the LOC, permission to travel abroad and release of his passport.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) opposed the application, contending that Dahiya, as Director and Chief Financial Officer of Vivo India, had played a crucial role in the alleged siphoning of proceeds of crime stated to be around Rs 20,241 crore.

The federal anti-money laundering agency also said that the official meetings could be attended virtually and relied on another order of the High Court, by which the travel application of co-accused Guangwen Kuang alias Andrew Kuang was dismissed.

However, the Delhi High Court said the earlier order concerning Kuang did not assist the ED as it was based on his foreign nationality and the absence of an extradition treaty with China.

Dahiya, an Indian national travelling to Thailand, stood on a different footing, it said.

As part of the conditions, Dahiya has been directed to deposit original title documents of his immovable assets with the High Court Registry as security until his return and furnish his travel itinerary, flight details, address of stay and contact number in Thailand to the investigating officer and trial court.

He has also been directed to intimate the investigating officer and trial court within 24 hours of his return, re-deposit his passport within the same period and appear before the trial court on the next date fixed.

The High Court also directed that Dahiya will not contact any witness, tamper with evidence or do anything prejudicial to the proceedings.

The LOC will automatically revive after October 15.

The High Court clarified that its observations were confined to the present application and would not amount to an expression on the merits of the main case.

New Delhi, Oct 7: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday permitted a senior director of Vivo Mobile India to travel to Bangkok for four days for official meetings and directed suspension of the Look Out Circular (LOC) issued against him during the period.

A single-judge Bench of Justice Sachin Datta allowed Harinder Dahiya, the company’s Senior Director of Finance and Accounts, to travel to Thailand, from October 12 to 15 for official meetings concerning statutory audit matters, audit and control transformation, litigation, and business and finance strategy at Vivo India.

The High Court also permitted release of his passport and directed that the LOC against him will remain suspended during the four-day period.

Dahiya had challenged the March 19, 2026 order of the Patiala House Courts, which had rejected his plea seeking setting aside of the LOC, permission to travel abroad and release of his passport.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) opposed the application, contending that Dahiya, as Director and Chief Financial Officer of Vivo India, had played a crucial role in the alleged siphoning of proceeds of crime stated to be around Rs 20,241 crore.

The federal anti-money laundering agency also said that the official meetings could be attended virtually and relied on another order of the High Court, by which the travel application of co-accused Guangwen Kuang alias Andrew Kuang was dismissed.

However, the Delhi High Court said the earlier order concerning Kuang did not assist the ED as it was based on his foreign nationality and the absence of an extradition treaty with China.

Dahiya, an Indian national travelling to Thailand, stood on a different footing, it said.

As part of the conditions, Dahiya has been directed to deposit original title documents of his immovable assets with the High Court Registry as security until his return and furnish his travel itinerary, flight details, address of stay and contact number in Thailand to the investigating officer and trial court.

He has also been directed to intimate the investigating officer and trial court within 24 hours of his return, re-deposit his passport within the same period and appear before the trial court on the next date fixed.

The High Court also directed that Dahiya will not contact any witness, tamper with evidence or do anything prejudicial to the proceedings.

The LOC will automatically revive after October 15.

The High Court clarified that its observations were confined to the present application and would not amount to an expression on the merits of the main case.

Ahmedabad, Oct 7: A 39-year-old man was arrested by the Local Crime Branch (LCB) of Ahmedabad Police after allegedly honey-trapping an older man through Facebook and extorting Rs 24 lakh from him in instalments by threatening to implicate him in false cases, police said on Wednesday.

The accused, identified as Alpesh Solanki, a resident of Thikvadi village in Botad district, was arrested with Rs 1 lakh in cash allegedly collected from the complainant during the latest extortion attempt.

According to police, the incident came to light on the night of October 5, when Anandnagar Police Station received a control-room message stating that a gang had allegedly blackmailed an older man and his son and taken Rs 1 lakh from them in a black bag.

Officials said a man wearing black trousers and a white checked shirt was reported to have fled from Pakwan Char Rasta with the money.

Following the information, senior officials directed the concerned officers to take immediate action.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone-7) Shivam Verma ordered a special action plan and strict naka-bandi in the area to identify and apprehend those involved.

Teams from the LCB Zone-7, led by Police Sub-Inspector H.D. Vaghela, conducted intensive patrolling and vehicle checks along the SG Highway.

Based on specific information received, the police located a man matching the description in the control-room message hiding under the Karnavati Bridge with a black bag.

He was apprehended along with Rs 1 lakh in cash.

Police said questioning of Solanki revealed that he and his associates had allegedly contacted the complainant through Facebook and honey-trapped him.

The accused allegedly threatened to register false cases against him and, as part of a planned conspiracy, collected Rs 24 lakh from him in instalments.

Police further said the gang had allegedly demanded another Rs 7 lakh from the complainant during the latest episode.

Officials said the complainant became suspicious and contacted the police, following which Solanki was arrested with Rs 1 lakh.

Two other accused, Kishan alias Kanu Parmar, a resident of Morarinagar-1 on Targhada Road in Botad, and Lalo, a resident of Panadara village in Kadi taluka of Mehsana district, are yet to be arrested.

Police said efforts to trace them are underway.

The police seized two bundles of Rs 500 notes totalling Rs 1 lakh, a black bag and a mobile phone valued at Rs 5,000.

The total value of the seized property was put at Rs 1.05 lakh.

Police advised people to exercise caution before accepting friend requests from unknown persons on social media and while communicating with strangers online.

The police also appealed to anyone facing blackmail or an extortion demand of this nature to approach the nearest police station.