SC asks ED to provide dates for questioning Karti Chidambaram in Aircel, INX cases

The Supreme Court Monday asked the Enforcement Directorate to specify by January 30 the dates on which it wants to interrogate Karti Chidambaram, son of senior Congress leader P Chidambaram, in INX Media and Aircel Maxis cases.

Karti has sought the court's nod to travel to France, Spain, Germany and the United Kingdom for the next few months for international tennis tournaments organised by 'Totus Tennis Ltd'.

The apex court however made it clear that if Karti evades the probe agency then it may not permit him to travel for international tennis tournaments organised by the UK-based company.

"No tennis for him if he evades," said a bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Sanjiv Khanna.

The plea has said that Karti is associated with tennis as a "former player, current administrator and entrepreneur".

The bench asked Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the ED, to seek instructions and give dates on which the probe agency wanted to quiz Karti.

"We will ensure both. We will ensure that he appears before you (ED) and he goes for his tennis assignment," it said.

The probe agency has opposed the plea of Karti seeking permission to travel abroad and has said that he has been evasive, non-cooperative and caused delay in completing the investigations.

Karti was abroad for 51 days in last 6 months, the probe agency has said.

Earlier, the top court had deferred to today the hearing on the plea moved by Karti Chaidambaram seeking permission to travel abroad.

On September 18 last year it had allowed Karti to travel to the UK from September 20-30.

Karti is facing criminal cases which are being probed by the ED and the CBI.

One of the cases relates to the FIPB clearance to INX Media for receiving foreign funds of Rs 305 crore when his father was the finance minister.

The ED had said that Karti, who is also facing proceedings in cases like Aircel-Maxis and money laundering matters, has been "blatantly misusing" the liberty granted by court in allowing him to travel abroad and has been using the same to protract the investigation in the case.