The Supreme Court on Wednesday recorded an undertaking from the Centre and Anil Ambani that he would not leave the country without the court’s permission.

The court asked the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate to constitute an SIT to probe the alleged embezzlement of public funds worth ₹1.50 lakh crore by the industrialist and his Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group (ADAG).

The court also asked the investigating agencies to examine the role of bank officials in the matter.

A bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant passed the order after advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for the petitioner and former IAS officer E.A.S. Sarma, expressed apprehension that Ambani could flee the country.

Solicitor-general Tushar Mehta, appearing for the ED and the CBI, assured the court that the government would take steps to prevent Ambani from leaving the country and said that he did not trust the statement made by senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for the industrialist, that he was not a flight risk.

Mehta told the bench that Rohatgi had given a similar assurance to Delhi High Court on behalf of another industrialist, but the latter had subsequently fled.

Rohatgi countered the argument, saying the industrialist later returned to the country and paid back dues to the tune of ₹5,000 crore.

The bench recorded an undertaking from Mehta that the government would take all necessary action to ensure a smooth probe, and from Rohatgi that Ambani “will not leave the country without leave of this court”.

While hearing the arguments, the bench questioned the CBI for not registering separate regular cases (RCs) in the matter despite the involvement of several public sector banks in the alleged embezzlement.

Bhushan complained that the embezzlement came to light in 2020, but a formal FIR was registered by the CBI only in 2025.

Rohatgi suggested that instead of seeking the criminal prosecution of Ambani and his company officials, the industrialist be allowed to make staggered payments.

“If the gentleman and his companies can pay in some staggered way, that is one way to look at it rather than going for prosecution,” the senior counsel said.

On January 23, the top court had sought status reports from the CBI and the ED on the investigations conducted so far.

It had also issued fresh notices to Ambani and the ADAG to respond to Sarma’s allegations that the authorities had not taken any action on the alleged embezzlement despite the fraud being detected way back in 2020.

The apex court had issued the fresh notice after the two respondents had failed to appear before the court on an earlier notice issued in November last year.