A court in Delhi extended till May 6 the interim protection from arrest granted to former Union Minister P Chidambaram and his son Karti Chidambaram in connection with the Aircel-Maxis case, ANI reported. The interim relief pertains to the cases filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Enforcement Directorate.
The matter was adjourned after the Enforcement Directorate sought time to gather more evidence, Bar and Bench reported. The agency said it was waiting for letters rogatory from Singapore, ANI reported. Letters rogatory are formal requests to foreign countries to seek judicial help in investigating offshore entities.
Karti Chidambaram is contesting the Lok Sabha election from Sivaganga in Tamil Nadu.
The Aircel-Maxis case relates to the clearances that the Foreign Investment Promotion Board granted the firm Global Communication Holding Services Ltd for investment in Aircel in 2006. Chidambaram was the finance minister at the time and Karti Chidambaram allegedly facilitated the payment of bribes in the Aircel-Maxis transaction. The Enforcement Directorate, which is investigating a money laundering angle in the case, is inquiring why Chidambaram approved the investment when only the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs can give green signal for such deals.
In November 2018, the Central Bureau of Investigation had informed a court in Delhi that the central government has sanctioned the prosecution of P Chidambaram in the case.
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