The Supreme Court on Thursday gave the Enforcement Directorate three months to complete its investigation into the Aircel-Maxis case, reported PTI.
Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the court that the investigative agency needs two to three months to complete the investigation as it needs to confront some accused with e-mails. In March, the top court had given the agency six months to complete the inquiries.
The case pertains to clearances that the Foreign Investment Promotion Board granted to the firm M/S Global Communication Holding Services Ltd for investment in Aircel in 2006. P Chidambaram was the finance minister at the time and his son Karti Chidambaram allegedly facilitated the payment of bribes in the Aircel-Maxis transaction. The Enforcement Directorate is looking into why P Chidambaram approved the investment when only the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs can give the green signal.
The Enforcement Directorate has filed a money laundering case while the Central Bureau of Investigation has filed a corruption case against Chidambaram and his son.
The former Union minister and his son are out on interim bail till October 8. Both of them have denied the allegations in the matter.
On Tuesday, Karti Chidamabaram told a Delhi court that the Enforcement Directorate’s plea to revoke his interim relief from arrest was “misconceived and baseless”. The court is set to hear the matter on September 25.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday allowed Karti Chidambaram to travel to the United Kingdom from September 20 to September 30. The directorate had told the top court the day before that the accused was “blatantly misusing” the freedom granted to him to travel abroad. The agency said Karti Chidambaram was unavailable for investigation for 51 days on account of his foreign visits.
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