Jet Airways chairman Naresh Goyal

The Bombay high court on Thursday directed the city police commissioner to give a report on the alleged underworld connection of Jet Airways [Get Quote] chairman Naresh Goyal.

A division bench of Chief Justice Swatanter Kumar and Justice S C Dharmadhikari has asked the police commissioner to file his reply within four weeks to the allegation in a public interest litigation.

The PIL filed by a social activist M Furquan alleged that Goyal had links with underworld don Dawood Ibrahim and Chhota Shakeel and this nexus could hamper national security.

On getting reply from the Mumbai police commissioner, the court will decide if a Central Bureau of Investigation enquiry is required in the matter, the petitioner's lawyer K T Thomas said.

Jet Airways is alleged to have been funded by the fugitives, Thomas said.

This is the third time the petitioner has filed such a PIL against Goyal.

A Jet Airways spokesperson later said: "We have so far not received any intimation from any quarter of any proceeding or any proceeding that may have passed."

The high court had dismissed the petitioner's application last October holding that he had not filed a police complaint.

Last December, the high court had dismissed for the second time the same PIL on grounds that the investigating agency had not been given sufficient time to enquire and granted leave to file a fresh appeal if action was not taken on the petitioner's complaint.

Considering the seriousness of the issue, the court has given this order as action has still not been taken, Thomas said. It was also brought to the court's notice that the Intelligence Bureau had filed a report on Goyal's alleged nexus, he claimed.

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