New Delhi: The CBI and the Enforcement Directorate sought Monday in a Delhi court the custodial interrogation of former Finance Minister P Chidambaram and his son Karti in cases arising out of the Aircel-Maxis scam. The probe agencies said that the two have been non-cooperative in the investigation.
P Chidambaram, during the UPA regime granted approval to the Aircel-Maxis deal beyond his capacity which benefitted certain persons and received kickbacks, the probe agencies alleged. The cases relate to alleged irregularities in grant of FIPB approval in the Rs 3,500-crore deal.
Opposing the Congress leader and his son Karti’s protection from arrest, the agencies said the two will hamper the probe. The CBI and the ED also opposed the anticipatory bail applications filed by the father-son duo.
The probe agencies told Special judge OP Saini that P Chidambaram, 73, and his son has committed serious economic offences and there was a larger conspiracy against the public and national interest. The Chidambarams need to be dealt with ‘iron hand’, the CBI said maintaining that the probe in the Aircel-Maxis corruption case is still going on.
The ED said the Chidambarams are accused of money laundering, creating shell companies and committing other offences and it should be sufficient for their arrest. .
The court August 23 had extended the interim protection from arrest granted to Chidambaram and his son till September 3.
The court had pulled up the CBI and the ED for seeking adjournments on the hearing related to their anticipatory bail pleas. It said the probe agencies have been seeking adjournments in the cases for over a year and it has become ‘embarrassing’ to continue with the matter in this manner. It had informed that onus is on the probe agencies to make arguments against the anticipatory bail pleas of the Chidambarams.
The cases relate to alleged irregularities in grant of FIPB approval in the Rs 3,500-crore Aircel-Maxis deal when P Chidambaram was finance minister.
The CBI is probing how P Chidambaram, when Finance Minister in 2006, granted FIPB approval to a foreign firm, when only the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) was empowered to do it.
The ED is also probing a separate money laundering case in the Aircel-Maxis matter, in which the Chidambarams have been questioned by the agency and their anticipatory bail is pending.
PTI