Fire at ED Office Delays Bhujbals' Travel Amid Legal Scrutiny

A special court has permitted Maharashtra minister Chhagan Bhujbal and his son Pankaj to extend their international travel after a fire at the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) Mumbai office damaged their passports. The incident occurred in April, necessitating urgent applications for new 'tatkal' passports.

Initially granted bail in a money laundering case, the Bhujbals were mandated by the Bombay High Court to obtain court permission for foreign travel. Their initial travel plans were postponed due to passport issues and subsequent visa delays. This led them to request a travel extension, which was granted by the special PMLA judge S R Navander, despite the prosecution's concerns about absconding.

The ED's Kaiser-I-Hind building suffered significant fire damage on April 27. This incident and the resulting passport issues caused travel delays for the Bhujbals, who were originally scheduled to travel between May 24 and June 8. They started their journey on May 28, prompting a plea for an extension until June 12. The court's decision to allow their request acknowledged the unforeseen difficulties posed by the fire.

(With inputs from agencies.)