new delhi the supreme court on friday ordered withdrawal of the look out circular loc issued against tmc mp abhishek banerjee and his wife rujira in connection with the money laundering cases against them linked to an alleged coal smuggling scam in west bengalthe enforcement directorate ed which the apex court had pulled up at the last hearing for issuing loc against the highprofile couple told a bench of justices s k kaul and sudhanshu dhulia that necessary orders will be issued to facilitate their travel abroad if they inform the antimoney laundering agency a week in advanceon july 24 the apex court had asked the ed to apprise it about whether an loc has been issued against the couple who had travelled abroad with courts permission in the pastduring the hearing on friday additional solicitor general asg s v raju appearing for the ed said as far as abhishek banerjee is concerned the ed has already relaxed the loc and allowed him to travel from july 26 to august 20 raju said banerjees wife rujira has also been allowed to travel abroad several timesthe problem is this when somebody goes abroad you say we have not done it issued loc and we have given the permission justice kaul observed adding the pendency of the loc creates a scenario that somebody somewhere is stopped it is not done your time is wasted and my time is wastedthere is an loc you recall the loc that is all they will seek permission whenever they have to go they will intimate you in advance the bench told rajuwhen the asg argued that serious allegations have been made against the couple in the alleged coal smuggling scam the bench observed in a criminal matter it is the prosecutions burden to prove its case beyond all reasonable doubtsthe asg in usual fairness states that if the petitioners inform one week in advance before travelling abroad necessary orders will be issued in any case the loc shall stand withdrawn the bench said while disposing of the application filed by abhishek banerjee and his wifesenior advocate kapil sibal appearing for the duo had argued that the tmc mp was scheduled to go abroad on july 26 for medical reasonssibal had stated that abhishek banerjee and his wife had travelled abroad earlier and returned without causing obstruction in the ongoing probe against themthe top court had earlier allowed the ed to interrogate the couple in connection with the alleged scam at its kolkata office after giving them at least a 24hour advance noticerujira was allegedly stopped from boarding a uaebound flight on june 5 citing a lookout notice issued by the ed that asked her to appear before the agencythe ed has lodged a case against the couple under the provisions of the prevention of money laundering act 2002 based on a november 2020 fir registered by the cbi that alleged a multicrore rupees coal pilferage scam at the eastern coalfields limited mines in the states