Karti moves SC against CBI in Aircel-Maxis case
Karti Chidambaram, son of former finance minister P. Chidambaram, on Wednesday moved the Supreme Court challenging the summons issued by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for his appearance in the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance given to the Aircel-Maxis deal in 2006. The CBI had issued summons asking him to appear today for interrogation.
Refusing to appear before CBI, Karti moved the apex court, saying that the summons was issued with mala fide intention and to harass him and his family. He said in connection with the Aircel Maxis and INX media, cases, he and his father were questioned by the agency on November 19 and December 6 in 2014, respectively. Further, the trial court had already quashed the charges insofar as the accused are concerned in the Aircel Maxis case. While so continuing the proceedings against the petitioner was illegal.
The petitioner submitted that the CBI and other investigative wings under the control of this present Union government, from time to time, issue malicious press releases or take coercive action driven by political vendetta in order to blatantly sensationalise and publicise this campaign against him and his family with the intent to malign their reputation.
Meanwhile, the apex court told Karti not to leave India till October 9. A three-judge bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A.M. Kanwilkar and D.Y. Chandrachud told senior counsel Kapil Sibal, appearing for Karti, that the court would consider the plea to quash the look out circular on October 9 and till then the LoC would remain in force.
Earlier, additional solicitor-general Tushar Mehta, appearing for the CBI, maintained that Karti Chidambaram went abroad only for the purpose of closing his bank accounts and transferred the amounts to other accounts.