Aircel-Maxis case: Notice issued to P Chidambaram, Karti on ED's plea challenging anticipatory bail

The Delhi High Court on Friday issued a notice to senior Congress leader P Chidambaram and his son Karti Chidambaram on a petition filed by Enforcement Directorate (ED) seeking cancellation of their anticipatory bail in Aircel-Maxis case.

Justice Suresh Kumar Kait asked the father-son duo to file their response by November 29 and posted the hearing on the matter for the same day.

Chidambaram is also an accused in the INX Media case. He is in judicial custody in Tihar jail till October 21.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the petition termed the anticipatory bail granted to the accused as 'unwarranted' and said that the trial court's finding was completely "perverse and untenable" in law.

 

The probe agency said that they both remained evasive during the investigation. "There is a likelihood that the accused could tamper with evidence and influence witnesses," it said.

The case relates to alleged irregularities in granting a Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) approval in the Aircel-Maxis deal. The approval was allegedly granted in 2006 when Chidambaram was the Union Finance Minister.

A Special Court had, on September 5, granted anticipatory bail to the duo in the case observing that the entire evidence related to the commission of the crime is "documentary in nature and not liable to be tampered with" by both the accused.

The court said that since both the accused are the lawmakers, there is "no apparent possibility of the accused fleeing from justice."

"Also, there is no possibility of the accused committing any similar crime again as they are not holding any official position in the government at present. The witnesses are also from DoT, Ministry of Finance and banks and as such, there is no possibility of them being threatened or influenced by any of the accused," the court had stated.