Kerala HC junks actor Soubin Shahir’s plea for travel to Dubai

Kochi: High court has dismissed the petition of film actor Soubin Shahir and Shawn Anthony, producers of the hit movie ‘Manjummel Boys' and accused in a financial fraud case relating to its production, seeking permission to travel abroad to attend an award function in Dubai. Earlier, the petitioners had moved the judicial first-class Magistrate court seeking relaxation of their bail conditions to travel abroad for the function scheduled on Sept 6 and 8. The JFMC-VIII, Ernakulam, rejected their plea on the prosecution's submission that a key witness in the case was abroad and that the petitioners might attempt to influence him if allowed to travel. Challenging this order, they approached high court. Though the prosecution argued that the petition had become infructuous since the award function was already scheduled on Sept 6 and 8, the petitioners countered that they had also sought relaxation of bail conditions to visit family members abroad. The bench of Justice V G Arun, however, dismissed the petition. A detailed judgment is awaited.