South Africa Court Allows Fraud Accused Businessman to Visit India for Two Weeks

The controversial Gupta brothers’ nephew Varun Gupta, an accused in the Estina dairy farm corruption case along with his uncles, has been given permission by the Bloemfontein magistrates court to make a brief visit to India, Eyewitness News reported. Atul Gupta‘s nephew was arrested along with several Oakbay executives and Free State provincial government officials in February. They were then released on bail.

The court outlined strict conditions for his travel to India to attend a religious ceremony at Badrinath temple. He was ordered to collect his passport from the investigating officer so that he can undertake a religious pilgrimage of the Char Dham Yatra in the Himalayas with his father. The trip has to be taken by a commercial flight from OR Tambo International Airport and that he has to return to the same port of entry.

Varun Gupta has to return to the country by May 26 and hand over his passport to the investigating officer within 24 hours of his arrival in South Africa.

Meanwhile, the case of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) against Gupta-linked parties has been postponed to May 17, as the Indian-origin family’s business associates and companies sought to argue for control of assets raided by the NPA earlier this year, eNCA reported.

The assets seized during the raids in connection with Estina dairy farm case include a helicopter, two jets, several luxury vehicles and more than 40 properties. The seven applicants who sought to regain the assets are Oakbay Investments, its acting CEO Ronica Ragavan, and  Varun Gupta.

The NPA, which said that funds intended for the Free State Province’s dairy farm project were laundered by the Gupta family, argued for a postponement of the case on May 10 so they could gain the services of top advocate Wim Trengove by next week.

The lawyer for Oakbay said it was hypocritical for the NPA to launch probe against his clients, grab their valuables, and then argue for time, wasting public funds.

The judge rejected the argument placed by Ravagan’s lawyer, and postponed the case.

The Gupta family has been accused of “state capture,” and faces allegations of corruption and influence peddling through their close relationship with former South African president Jacob Zuma’s family. Zuma resigned on Feb. 14 after the ruling political party mounted pressure on him following police raids at Gupta family’s Johannesburg home.