Karti's anticipatory bail plea granted by HC; next hearing on April 16

A special court here on Saturday granted interim protection from arrest, till April 16, to Karti Chidambaram in the Aircel-Maxis deal case.

Special Judge O. P. Saini directed that Chidambaram, the son of former Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram, will not be arrested in the case till April 16, the next date fixed for hearing on his anticipatory bail plea.

The court meanwhile directed him to join investigation whenever required and not to leave the country without permission.

The Central Bureau of Investigation and Enforcement Directorate has sought three more weeks to file reply on his anticipatory bail plea.

Karti Chidambaram's advocate and senior counsel Kapil Sibal told the court that his client was arrested arbitrarily by the CBI in the INX media case and now he apprehends that he may be arrested in the instant case without any reason and sought interim protection from arrest till the probe agencies filed the reply in the matter.

The CBI is investigating how Karti Chidambaram allegedly managed to get a clearance from the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) in the Aircel-Maxis deal when his father was the Finance Minister in 2006.

The special court, trying 2G cases, had discharged the Maran brothers - Dayanidhi and Kalanithi - in the case, holding that that there was no prima facie case warranting the framing of charges.

The CBI had chargesheeted Maran, his brother and businessman Kalanithi Maran and others alleging that Dayanidhi Maran used his influence to help Krishnan buy Aircel by coercing its owner Sivasankaran to part with his stake.

Sivasankaran alleged that Dayanidhi Maran favoured the Maxis Group in the takeover of his company. In return, he alleged, the company made investments through Astro Network in a company stated to be owned by the Maran family.