SC grants 3 months time to complete Aircel Maxis probe

◗ According to the ED, Malaysian businessman Anant Krishnan is not cooperating in the Aircel Maxis case

The Supreme Court on Thursday granted three months time to the CBI and Enforcement Directorate for completing the probe in the 2G cases relating to Aircel Maxis on the alleged involvement of former finance minister P. Chidambaram and other issues.

A Bench of Justices A. K. Sikri and Ashok Bhushan accepted the submissions of Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta who sought further time for completing the probe. The pending probes include that by CBI into the role of Malaysian accused T. Anant Krishnan and Ralph Marshall in the AircelMaxis deal, and that by CBI regarding Foreign Investment Promotion Board approval for Aircel- Maxis deal.

The ED is also looking into the money laundering aspects of the AircelMaxis deal. This includes the probe into the role of former finance minister P. Chidambaran in granting FIPB approval and his son Karti Chidambaram’s role in connection with the Aircel- Maxis case.

According to the ED, Malaysian businessman Anant Krishnan is not cooperating in the Aircel Maxis Case. It was submitted that the Malaysian government had also refused to cooperate in the investigation stating that no criminality against T. Anant Krishna of the Maxis group was established. Despite Letter Rogatories, the Malaysian government refused to furnish even a single document and they even sent letters stating that CBI was making unnecessary statements. BJP leader Subramanian Swamy had alleged that there had been illegal clearances of the deal by the Foreign Investment Promotion Bureau ( FIPB) of which Mr Chidambaram was exofficio chairman.