New Delhi/IBNS/UNI: The Supreme Court today on Friday directed the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to withdraw the lookout circular issued against TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee and his wife Rujira in connection with the money laundering cases against them linked to an alleged coal scam in West Bengal.

The court directed Abhishek and his wife that they will have to seek permission of the ED before going abroad.

A bench of the apex court, headed by Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and also comprising Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia, passed the order after hearing a plea by the couple to travel abroad.

The top court ruled that Abhishek Banerjee and Rujira could travel abroad after informing ED a week in advance.

It had asked the ED on Monday to apprise it about whether the lookout circular has been issued against the TMC MP and his wife.

Rujira was allegedly stopped from boarding a UAE-bound flight on June 5 citing a lookout notice by the ED that asked her to appear before the agency.

The ED lodged a case under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 based on a November 2020 FIR registered by the CBI that alleged a multi-crore rupees coal pilferage scam related to the Eastern Coalfields Limited mines in the state's Kunustoria and Kajora areas in and around Asansol.