Aircelmaxis case: More transactions of Karti’s companies handed over to CBI

NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) references of around half a dozen suspicious payments that Karti Chidambaram’s companies allegedly received from firms which had proposals for foreign funding pending for clearance in the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB), said a senior official of the ED.

The official, who did not want to be named, said the payments came to light during its probe in the Aircel-maxis case. “The CBI has been informed about these suspicious payments that we discovered during our probe into the Aircel-maxis deal matter as it might be a case of corruption,” said the official.

A CBI spokesperson refused to offer any comment.

Karti’s father and former Union finance minister P Chidambaram also refused comment. “I have not comments. I do not believe in a media trial,” he said. Meanwhile, the SC will on Tuesday hear a fresh plea by Karti, seeking quashing of the ED’S summons against him in the INX Media case.

In his fresh writ petition, Karti Chidambaram has challenged the summons on the ground that the ED has no jurisdiction to issue such notices based on the FIR lodged by the CBI. The probe into the Aircel-maxis deal was initiated by the CBI. The agency alleged that in 2005, then telecom minister Dayanidhi Maran deliberately delayed the grant of a licence to entrepreneur C Sivasankaran-owned Aircel in seven circles with the intent of forcing his exit from the company.

Sivasankaran sold his stake to Malaysia-based Maxis, following which Aircel’s applications for licences were accepted, the agency alleged.

Now the CBI is looking at another aspect of the deal where it is alleged that the FIBP approvals for the investment by Maxis into Aircel were in violation of norms. The ED is looking into the money laundering aspect of the probe.