Delhi's Patiala House Court on Thursday, 1 November, extended the interim protection from arrest to P Chidambaram and his son, Karti. till 26 November in the Aircel Maxis case, news agency ANI reported.
Later in the day, the CBI filed a reply in the court on the anticipatory bail plea of P Chidambaram and others in Aircel Maxis case. The CBI has opposed the anticipatory bail plea of P Chidambaram and Karti, and has sought custodial interrogation of both.
The court also refused to grant an urgent hearing on Karti’s request to travel aboard from 3 November. “Karti Chidambaram going abroad is not a matter that needs to be taken up tomorrow,” it said, posting the matter for 26 November.
The court’s directive came after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday, 31 October, opposed the anticipatory bail plea of Chidambaram in the money laundering case, and sought his custodial interrogation.
ED, in its response, said that Chidambaram has remained evasive and was not cooperating in the probe, according to PTI.
THE CASE
The CBI had, in December 2014, investigated the former Union finance minister in connection with the case, questioning his competency in giving Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) sanction for investment in Aircel.
The agency had argued that the deal, which was worth Rs 3,500 crore, needed approval of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA).
TheED also suspects that Karti Chidambaram received kickbacks from the FIPB approval.
The agency alleges that a payment of Rs 26 lakh was made by Aircel Televentures Limited to Advanced Strategic Consulting (ASCPL), a firm allegedly linked to Karti, within a few days of the FIPB approval.
Chidambaram, however, has said he had followed protocol in approving the investment.
THE BACKGROUND
The court had, on 8 October, extended till 1 November the interim protection from arrest granted to Chidambaram and Karti in the Aircel-Maxis case filed by the CBI and the ED.
Chidambaram had filed the plea for protection from arrest in the ED case on 30 May this year, after which he got relief from the court on various occasions.
On 25 October, ED had filed a charge sheet against Chidambaram in the Aircel-Maxis money laundering case, accusing him of conspiring with foreign investors to clear their venture.
(With inputs from ANI, Livemint and PTI)
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