Delhi HC adjourns hearing on ED's plea challenging bail to Chidambaram, son Karti

Delhi High Court on Wednesday adjourned till May 12 hearing in the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) plea challenging trial court's order granting bail to former union minister P Chidambaram and his son Karti Chidambaram in the Aircel-Maxis case.

A bench of Justice Anu Malhotra allowed the plea filed by the father-son duo seeking more time to file their reply on ED's plea challenging their bail.

On September 5 last year, a trial court had granted anticipatory bail to the Chidambaram and his son Karti in connection with the Aircel-Maxis cases filed by both the ED and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Judge OP Saini, while passing the judgment, had observed that the entire evidence related to the commission of the crime by the two accused was documentary in nature and is not liable to be tampered with by the two accused.

"Both the accused are Members of Parliament and P Chidambaram is also the former finance and home minister of the country. Considering these factors there is no apparent possibility of the accused fleeing from justice," the court said.

The case, which is being probed by the CBI and ED, relates to alleged irregularities in grant of Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) approval in the Aircel-Maxis deal. The FIPB approval was allegedly granted in 2006 when Chidambaram was the Union finance minister.