Aircel-Maxis case: Court seeks ED, CBI response on Karti's plea

A Delhi court on Monday issued notice to Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) on a petition filed by Congress MP Karti Chidambaram seeking permission to travel abroad.

Karti, along with his father and former Union Minister P. Chidambaram, are currently out on anticipatory bail in the Aircel Maxis matter.

While granting them anticipatory bail, the court had imposed a restriction on their travel. The court had directed them not to leave the country without its prior permission.

Karti, through his lawyer Arshdeep Khurana and Akshat Gupta, moved the Rouse Avenue Court seeking permission to travel to the UK and France from February 17 to March 1.

In the plea, he said he wanted to travel abroad to attend an international tennis tournament and important business meetings.

The case relates to alleged irregularities in the grant of Foreign Investment Promotion Board approval in the Aircel-Maxis deal.

The approval was granted in 2006 when P. Chidambaram was the Union Finance Minister.

According to rules and the foreign direct investment policy in force at that time, Chidambaram was allegedly empowered to give approval to proposals involving foreign investment only up to Rs 600 crore.

It is alleged that Chidambaram withheld Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance of the deal until his son, Karti Chidambaram received the five-per cent share in the company.