Explain efforts taken tobring back S Korean duowho fled India: CBI told

A division bench of the Madras High Court on Monday directed the CBI to file a status report within six weeks explaining the efforts taken to bring back two South Korean nationals who faced GST evasion charges and illegally fled the country after escaping house arrest.

The bench comprising Justices PN Prakash and R Hemalatha was hearing the pleas moved by the accused before running away from the country, seeking anticipatory bail fearing arrest in another case for forging documents to flee the country.

The case was transferred to the CBI on December 17 after the Chengalpattu police informed that the duo might have escaped to their country by crossing Imphal, Manipur.

Choe Jan Won and Choi Yong Suk were the general manager and managing director respectively of Chowel India Private Limited, a car components manufacturing company in Sriperumpudur. They were arrested on July 24, 2019, for not remitting Rs 40 crore which was collected as GST from their clients.

Though they got bail from Additional Chief Metropolitan Court, Egmore, in November 2019, they were sent to the foreigners’ detention centre, Tiruchy. Later, they approached the High Court seeking direction to release them from the detention centre citing the pandemic, and then moved the Supreme Court when the court dismissed their pleas.

In July 2020, the SC allowed them to stay in a private residential complex and directed the police to give them protection. Later, the Chengalpattu police informed the High Court that the duo might have fled the country by forging the documents illegally.