Chidambaram gets court protection till 5 June in Aircel-Maxis case
31 May 2018
Former union minister P Chidambaram got some respite from arrest for now after two Delhi courts granted him immunity from coercive action in the cases related to Aircell-Maxis and INX Media.
Chidambaram moved two courts in Delhi on Wednesday for protection from arrest in the Aircel-Maxis and INX media cases, in which his son Karti Chidambaram is an accused.
Earlier in the day, Chidambaram had moved Delhi’s Patiala House court seeking protection from arrest in the Aircel-Maxis money laundering case. He also moved the Delhi high court seeking protection from arrest in the INX Media.
The Patiala House court hearing the Aircell-Maxis case told the Enforcement Directorate that no coercive action can be taken against Chidambaram until the next hearing on 5 June, while another court dealing with the INX Media case said he cannot be arrested till 3 June when the court will hear the case.
In his plea in the Aircel-Maxis money laundering case, Chidambaram said all the evidence in the matter appears to be documentary in nature, which is already in the possession of the incumbent government and nothing has to be recovered from him.
Senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for Chidambaram, urged the court to grant him the relief considering the former minister has clean antecedents and deep roots in society.
While granting protection, the court said that no coercive action can be taken against him till the next hearing which will take place on 5 June. However, the court said that the senior Congress leader has to join the investigation whenever he is summoned by the ED.
Special Judge OP Saini sought a response from the Enforcement Directorate on Chidambaram’s plea. ED’s lawyer Nitesh Rana submitted that Chidambaram is “evading” from joining the investigation. “He had been summoned on 30 May, which he did not join till now. He is summoned again on 5 June.”
ED submitted to the court that it would file a reply on the application by 5 June.
The CBI had arrested Chidambaram’s son Karti in connection with the case in February this year. However, a Delhi court had on 2 May extended till 10 July the interim protection from arrest to Karti in two cases filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the ED in the Aircel-Maxis matter.
The matter pertains to grant of FIPB clearance to firm Global Communication Holding Services Ltd for investment in Aircel. Cases were lodged by the CBI and the ED in 2011 and 2012, respectively. Both agencies are trying to find out how Karti allegedly managed to get a clearance from the FIPB for the Aircel-Maxis deal.