New Delhi, Aug 23 (PTI) The Delhi High Court Monday directed the release of an NRI couple, residing in the United Kingdom, who were allegedly detained at the airport here upon their arrival pursuant to a look-out circular issued in an FIR registered in 2016.

Justice Rekha Palli directed that subject to the couple filing an affidavit that they would not leave the country without prior notice to the court, no coercive steps would be taken against them on the basis of the LOC till the next date of hearing on October 8.

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“Consequently, the respondent and all other authorities at the Airport are directed to forthwith permit the petitioners to leave the airport, if detained in pursuance of the impugned Look-Out Circular,” the judge said

The court was informed that they were detained at the airport upon their arrival since Monday morning.

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The court also issued notice on the plea of the couple challenging LOC and sought counter affidavits from the Centre and Delhi Police within three weeks.

Counsel for the couple Chetan Lokur submitted that there was absolutely no justification for issuance of any LOC against his clients who are senior citizens and have been detained at the Indira Gandhi International Airport upon their arrival since Monday morning.

The petition alleged that the couple came to know about the LOC at the time of their arrival and were detained “without food, water, or access to the medicines, which irrespective of the LOC is a grave and serious violation of the fundamental rights of the petitioners”.

The court was informed that the FIR was borne out of a dispute pertaining to an agreement to sell a property and they have been fully cooperating with the investigation.

The FIR contained the charge of cheating and other offences.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)