The Supreme Court on Tuesday allowed former Union minister P Chidambaram’s son Karti Chidambaram to travel abroad in May and June, ANI reported.
A bench led by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi asked the Congress leader to deposit Rs 10 crore security money after his lawyer informed the court that his client had deposited Rs 10 crore the last time he was allowed to travel outside the country, The Indian Express reported. “Your client does not have difficulty in paying this money,” the judges replied, according to News18.
Karti Chidambaram is likely to travel to the United States, Spain and Germany in the coming days, according to ANI.
The Central Bureau of Investigation and the Enforcement Directorate are investigating Karti Chidambaram in the INX Media case and the Aircel-Maxis case. He is contesting the Lok Sabha elections from Sivaganga constituency in Tamil Nadu on a Congress ticket.
On Monday, a Delhi court had granted Karti Chidambaram and P Chidambaram interim protection from arrest in the Aircel-Maxis case.
INX Media case
In May 2017, the Enforcement Directorate filed a money laundering case against Karti Chidambaram, INX Media and its directors Indrani Mukerjea and Peter Mukerjea.
The agency accused Karti Chidambaram’s company of receiving a bribe of Rs 10 lakh to help INX Media escape punitive action for taking Rs 305 crore in foreign funding in 2007 despite having clearance from the Foreign Exchange Promotion Board for only Rs 4 crore. P Chidambaram was the Unionfinance minister at the time.
Aircel-Maxis case
The case pertains to clearances that the Foreign Investment Promotion Board granted to Global Communication Holding Services Ltd for investments in Aircel in 2006. Chidambaram was the finance minister at the time and Karti Chidambaram allegedly facilitated the payment of bribes in the transaction.
The Enforcement Directorate, which is investigating a money laundering angle in the case, is inquiring why P Chidambaram approved the investment when only the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs can give the green signal for such deals.
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