The Enforcement Directorate on Tuesday questioned former finance Minister P Chidambaram’s son Karti in connection with the Aircel Maxis case. This is the first time Karti appeared before ED after obtaining anticipatory bail from 2G Court. As per the anticipatory bail order CBI and ED can’t arrest Karti till April 16. Sources said that Karti was totally evasive to the questions posed by the investigators and “don’t know” was his usual answers.
The ED has already attached Karti’s bank accounts worth around Rs.1.5 crore after finding that his firms Advantage Strategic Consulting Private limited and Chess Management Services Private limited received around two lakh dollars from three subsidiaries of Malaysian telecom giant Maxis.
The money came after father Chidambaram gave “illegal” FIPB clearance to Maxis to take over the Chennai based telecom firm Aircel.
According to sources, all the answers given by Karti was “negative” and “don’t know” after he was confronted with two lakh dollar money trail from Maxis. CBI and ED are also expected to summon Chidambaram soon. In March second week, Supreme Court’s 2G Bench had directed both agencies to finish the Aircel-Maxis probe within six months, observing strong strictures on the delays by the agencies in the high profile case.
Meanwhile in the INX Media case, the Delhi High Court on Tuesday sought the response of Karti’s Chartered Accountant S Bhaskararaman on the plea of ED seeking cancellation of bail granted to him by the trial court last month. Justice A K Pathak admitted the petition filed by ED special counsel Nitesh Rana challenging a special court’s March 13 order granting bail to Bhaskararaman, who was accused of assisting Karti to manage his “ill-gotten wealth” in India and abroad.
Seeking cancellation of his bail, Rana argued that it was a serious crime and the special court had ignored the gravity of the offence committed by the chartered accountant. “He committed a serious crime and has not cooperated with investigation. The investigation conducted so far shows deep involvement of the accused in committing the offence of money laundering and shielding other accused persons who are part of the deep- rooted conspiracy,” the ED said in its plea.