A Delhi court on Tuesday extended the protection from the arrest of Former Union Minister P Chidambaram and his son Karti Chidambaram till January 11 in connection with the Aircel-Maxis scam.
Special Judge OP Saini extended the relief granted to Former Union Minister and his son after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) submitted that new material has been recovered which needs to be collated.
It also granted time till January 11 to the CBI to get sanction to prosecute some of the people accused in the case.
Earlier on November 26, The CBI had told the court that the Centre had granted sanction to prosecute P Chidambaram.
There are 18 accused in the case. Besides P Chidambaram, a sanction is required for the prosection of five public servants.
Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Chidambaram and son, had earlier requested the court to extend the protection of the former union minister and co-accused Karti Chidambaram in both the cases filed by the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate.
The father and the son had recently denied the allegations of both the agencies that they were not cooperating during the probe in the case. They said the allegations against them were “unsubstantiated” and there was no need of their custodial interrogation.
P Chidambaram and son has filed an anticipatory bail in May this year. His protection from arrest has been extended from time to time.
The CBI and the ED, in their replies to the anticipatory bail pleas of the Chidambarams, had alleged that they were not cooperating in the probe.
Both the investigation agencies sought the custodial interrogation of both the accused on the grounds that they are not cooperating with the probe making difficult for the agencies to carry forward investigation in a constructive manner!
Both P Chidambaram and son Karti Chidambaram came under scanner in connection with ₹3,500 crore Aircel-Maxis and ₹305 crore INX Media. Maxis case goes back to FIPB approval given to a deal in 2006 to a Mauritius based Global Communication Services Holding Ltd, a subsidiary of Maxis by Chidambaram.
It was being investigated under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. With regard to the case, the ED had found that the approval granted to the Aircel-Maxis deal was beyond the mandate of the Finance minister.