Aircel-Maxis case: Karti gets relief from SC to fly abroad in May, June

The Supreme Court on Tuesday allowed Karti Chidambaram, son of former Union Minister P Chidambaram, to travel to the United States, Spain and Germany in May and June. Providing the relief, the bench headed by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi directed Karti to deposit a security of Rs 10 crore.

Karti has been questioned on several occasions in the INX media case in which both the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) are probing how Karti managed to obtain clearance to the tune of Rs 305 crore from the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) in 2007 when his father was the finance minister. The ED had registered a PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act) case based on FIR by the CBI and alleged that irregularities took place in the FIPB clearance to INX Media for receiving overseas funds to the tune of Rs 305 crore in 2007 when Chidambaram was the Union Finance Minister.

Both the investigating agencies were also probing how Chidambaram's son Karti managed to obtain the FIPB clearance. Karti Chidambaram was arrested on February 28, 2018. He was later granted bail.

The ED probe so far showed that for the FIPB approval, INX Media directors Peter and Indrani Mukerjea met P Chidambaram so that there was no delay in their application. The ED has attached properties worth Rs 54 crore belonging to Karti Chidambaram and a firm in connection with the case. It has also attached properties belonging to the Mukherjea's in connection with the same case.

(With inputs from agencies.)