High Court Challenges Provisional Attachment in Aircel-Maxis Case

The Madras High Court has issued a notice to the Enforcement Directorate regarding Congress MP Karthi Chidambaram's appeal against a verdict supporting the provisional attachment of his properties over alleged involvement in a money laundering case. Karthi contests the tribunal's dismissal, claiming the attachment lacks legal sustenance.

The Madras High Court on Tuesday issued a notice to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in response to an appeal filed by Congress MP Karthi Chidambaram. He challenges the appellate tribunal's decision that dismissed his appeal against the adjudicating authority's order on property attachment in a money laundering case.

A bench, including Chief Justice M M Shrivastava and Justice G Arul Murugan, initiated the notice and scheduled the next hearing for three weeks later. The case involves the ED's provisional attachment of Karthi's properties worth Rs 1.16 crore, linked to the Aircel-Maxis money laundering case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

Karthi argues that his property attachment is unsustainable under the law since no PMLA-related prosecution was pending when the confirmation order was issued. He states that the limits for attachment were unsatisfied, rendering the confirmation order invalid. The prosecution complaint was only filed in June 2018, months after the attachment order.

(With inputs from agencies.)