Mumbai: A special PMLA court denied an accused businessman permission to visit Iran, citing the “current situation of Iran war” which has seen the nation embroiled in a massive military conflict and regional instability. Minesh Shah, the CEO of Triliance Global Trade LLP and an accused in a 2025 money laundering case, had filed an urgent plea to travel to Iran for the essential inspection of raw materials and business promotion. However, the court found that the geopolitical crisis in West Asia has directly impacted the feasibility of such travel, rendering it unsafe and improper for an individual under trial. Shah was permitted to travel to China, Hong Kong, and Sri Lanka between March 15 and April 15, 2026. The conflict has effectively stalled Shah’s business operations in the region, despite his assertions that the trip was “urgently necessary” to secure prospective opportunities and prevent substantial commercial loss. Shah argued that his company’s ongoing global engagements were at stake and that any delay would impede his ability to maintain international trade ties. While acknowledging that Shah has a fundamental right to travel for his livelihood, the court prioritised safety and judicial caution over commercial interests. Regarding the specific request for the conflict-stricken nation, the court observed, “so far as regards travel to Iran is concerned, in the current situation of Iran war, it is not just and proper to permit the applicant to travel to Iran”.The Enforcement Directorate had earlier moved to block the entire travel application, describing money laundering as a “serious threat to the national economy and national interest”. The prosecution raised alarms that Shah might abscond, citing high court precedents that demand heightened circumspection when an accused person seeks to leave India during a pending criminal trial. In response, the court noted that Shah had been granted permission to travel five times in the past year and had always returned without misusing his liberty, leading to a partial allowance of the request for other destinations.
