Aircel-Maxis cases: ED, CBI file status report of investigation

Filing status reports of their investigation into Aircel-Maxis cases before a Delhi court on Friday, the ED said active investigation into the matter was going on while the CBI reported that letters rogatory has been sent to Malaysia and the status was awaited.

Judicial requests, also known as letters rogatory, are issued by courts on the request of an investigation agency when it wants information from another country.

The court had on January 31 "revived" the Aircel-Maxis cases filed by the CBI and the ED against former Union minister P Chidambaram and his son Karti that were earlier adjourned 'sine die'.

The case was adjourned 'sine die' -- without fixing any date for hearing -- on September 5 last year with the court noting that the two probe agencies were seeking "adjournment after adjournment".

The court had also granted anticipatory bail to the father-son duo. It has been challenged in the Delhi High Court, which will hear the matter on March 4.

The trail court took up the matter on its own on January 28 and sought the status report from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED). They however sought more time and the court granted them two weeks.

It had on September 5 granted anticipatory bail to P Chidambaram and Karti in the corruption case filed by the CBI as well as in the money laundering case lodged by the ED in relation to the Aircel-Maxis deal.

The probe agencies were investigating how Karti Chidambaram received clearance from the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) for the Aircel-Maxis deal in 2006 when his father was the Union finance minister.

The CBI and the ED had alleged that P Chidambaram, as finance minister during the United Progressive Alliance rule, granted approval to the deal beyond his capacity benefitting certain persons, and received kickbacks.