The Madras High Court rejected former Finance Minister P Chidambaram’s son Karti linked company Advantage Strategic Consulting Private limited’s petition to declare the raids by joint investigation team led by Enforcement Directorate and Income Tax as “illegal.” The controversial company linked with Karti approached HC when the joint team conducted raids in December 2014.
The Additional Solicitor General G Rajagopalan and 2G cases Special Pubic Prosecutor Anand Grover argued the court that the petition was totally frivolous the raids were linked to the probe in Aircel-Maxis scam. They informed the HC that the probe is directly monitored by 2G Bench of Supreme Court and no other court can interfere on the matter and the company was trying to mislead the HC.
“What the petitioner seeks to indirectly achieved is to injunct a summon, which cannot be done, that too in exercise of jurisdiction under Article 226 of the Constitution. The plea of malafides has not been specifically pleaded or established, mere use of the expression is not sufficient,” Justice TS Sivagnanam said, rejecting the petition
The raids at Advantage Strategic and Karti’s offices unearthed massive investment in real estates and hotels, vine yards in more than 15 countries. The money for purchases of these huge assets were routed through the subsidiary company of the Advantage in Singapore.
Karti has not yet appeared before ED. He was summoned on July 5 and July 18. The summons issued by Rajeshwar Singh, Investigating Officer of ED has asked Karti brings the money transfer from his companies from 2005 including the receipt of 2,00,000 dollar from Malaysian company Maxis. The money was transferred to Karti’s company Chess Management after father Chidambaram, then Finance Minister approved the controversial FIPB clearance to Maxis to acquire Aircel mobile phone company.