ED issues notice to Chidambaram in Aircel-Maxis case

P Chidambaram has been called by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the Aircel-Maxis money laundering case, as per sources.

Sources further said that the ED has issued a notice to the former finance minister to appear before the investigating officers on Tuesday for questioning.

Earlier on May 30, a Delhi court allowed Chidambaram protection from arrest till June 5 in the case, after he filed an anticipatory bail plea.

The court also asked ED to reply to the plea moved by Chidambaram by June 5.

P. Chidambaram's son Karti was arrested on February 28 at the Chennai airport on his return from the United Kingdom, for his alleged role in facilitating Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance for INX Media Ltd. and its directors, Peter and Indrani Mukerjea.

In October last year, during investigation, Enforcement Directorate (ED) found that FIPB approval given by Chidambaram in Aircel-Maxis case was beyond his mandate.

The law enforcement agency, in its investigation, also found that the amount for FIPB approval was wrongly projected to conceal the facts.

The Aircel-Maxis deal refers to a series of allegations of kickbacks in the telecom sector, which was part of the wider 2G scam that engulfed the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) regime.

In 2011, former Aircel head C. Sivasankaran complained to the CBI that he was being forced by then telecom minister Dayanidhi Maran to sell Aircel to the Malaysia-based Maxis Communications group owned by T. Ananda Krishnan.