Chidambaram moves HC for protection from arrest in INX case

Senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram on Wednesday moved the Delhi High Court for protection from arrest in the INX Media case, hours after a court extended to him interim protection from arrest in the Aircel-Maxis deal case.

Chidambaram, a former Union Finance Minister, was asked by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to appear before it on May 31 for questioning in the INX Media case.

His son Karti was arrested on February 28 for allegedly taking money to facilitate Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance to INX Media in 2007 when his father was the Union Finance Minister in the UPA government. Later, Karti was granted bail.

On Wednesday morning, a special court granted interim protection to P. Chidambaram from arrest till June 5 in the Aircel-Maxis deal case.

Special Judge O.P. Saini announced the order and directed him to join the investigation on June 5, the date when the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has asked him to appear before it for questioning.

The court asked the ED to file a response to Chidambaram's anticipatory bail plea and listed the matter for hearing on June 5.

Earlier, the court granted interim protection to Karti Chidambaram from arrest till July 10 in the Aircel-Maxis deal case.

"All evidence in this case appears to be documentary in nature, which is already in the possession of probe agencies. Further, the said documentary evidence is largely in the form of files of the Ministry of Finance, which are currently in safe and secure possession of the government of the day," Chidambaram's counsel P.K. Dubey said in the plea.

Dubey added that his client will not tamper with evidences in the case.

The CBI and the ED are investigating how Karti Chidambaram managed to get a clearance from the FIPB in the Aircel-Maxis deal when his father P. Chidambaram was the Finance Minister in 2006.

--IANS

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