In a setback, former managing director of BharatPe Ashneer Grover and his wife Madhuri Jain Grover have been denied travel permission to the United Kingdom by the Delhi Police. 

The couple, who were invited as guest speakers at the London School of Economics (LSE), requested the city police to travel to the UK. 

As per sources, the couple submitted a representation to the Delhi Police’s Economic Offences Wing (EOW) seeking permission to travel from March 9 to March 15 as guest speakers at the LSE and the University of Warwick. 

“After reviewing their representation, the investigation officer denied the permission,” a source said.

Regarding the matter, Ashneer Grover told Indian Express that, “Correspondence between me and EOW is confidential and as per court’s directives… I will continue to cooperate with police in this open and shut case and keep winning in Court. I’ve not got any correspondence regarding the travel permission (which is a confidential correspondence) as yet from EOW.”

The case so far 

In May 2023, the EOW registered an FIR against the Grovers and other family members for alleged misappropriation of funds and causing losses worth Rs 81 crore to Resilient Innovations Private Limited, which operates the UPI platform BharatPe.

The FIR included various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), such as criminal breach of trust, cheating, forgery, using forged documents, and criminal conspiracy.

In Nov 2023, both Ashneer Grover and Madhuri Jain Grover were barred from flying to the US at the Indira Gandhi International Airport (Terminal 3) and they were informed that there was a Look-out Circular (LOC) issued against them, effective from November 6.

The couple then approached the Delhi High Court to quash the LOC. The court listed the matter for hearing on May 8, stating that the investigation was still at a nascent stage. 

The High Court refrained from intervening, citing the early stage of the investigation. However, it suggested that the petitioners’ request to travel abroad for two days be considered based on the case’s facts.