Fully cooperated in Aircel-maxis case, Karti Chidambaram tells Delhi court

NEW DELHI: Karti Chidambaram, son of senior Congress leader P Chidambaram, told a Delhi court Tuesday that ED’S plea seeking the cancellation of interim protection from arrest to interrogate him in custody in the Aircel-maxis case was “misconceived and baseless”.

Karti told the court that he has fully cooperated with the investigation and has appeared before investigation agency on as many as six occasions after the interim order of March 24.

“On each of these occasions, the accused was questioned at length for about 8-10 hours every day. These questions were mostly “fishing and roving” and had no connection to the FIPB or anything to do with Aircel-maxis case,” Karti told Special CBI judge O P Saini.

Refuting the allegation that he has not cooperated in the case, Karti said the Enforcement Directorate’s contention was completely false and every summon issued in the matter has been duly replied to and there is not a single summon which remains unanswered.

On the issue of filing multiple pleas in various courts, Karti said that the ED’S contention was “completely baseless” and he was entitled to approach courts of law for seeking legal relief. He also refuted the charge of multiple visits to foreign countries and said the ground raised by the agency was illegal as he travelled abroad after seeking permission from the Supreme Court.

Karti denied that S Bhaskaraman was his key aide and told the court that he is an independent chartered accountant.

He also denied the allegation that he was trying to take advantage of the interim protection granted to him and has been trying to frustrate the time period of investigation by avoiding investigation.

“The accused has always cooperated with the investigation and is willing to cooperate in future and shall abide by all the conditions imposed on him,” Karti said in his affidavit.

The court has now posted the matter for hearing on September 25.