Karti Chidambaram seeks anticipatory bail in Aircel-Maxis case

Hours after being granted bail by the Delhi High Court in the INX media case, Karti Chidambaram today filed anticipatory bail pleas in a city court in cases relating to the alleged irregularities in FIPB clearance to a company in Aircel-Maxis matter arising out of the 2G spectrum cases.

Karti, son of former union minister P Chidambaram, filed his plea seeking protection of arrest before Special Judge O P Saini in the Aircel-Maxis matter, in which the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) have lodged cases in 2011 and 2012 respectively.

The court is likely to hear the plea tomorrow.

The matter pertains to grant of Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance to firm M/S Global Communication Holding Services Ltd for investment in Aircel.

While seeking the relief, Karti said the CBI's conduct was "mala fide" in the INX Media case, in which he was arrested by the probe agency on February 28.

The plea also said the CBI had already questioned FIPB officials as well as his father P Chidambaram in the Aircel-Maxis case in 2014 prior to filing charge sheet.

Karti had in October last year moved the Supreme Court challenging the summons issued against him by the CBI in the Aircel-Maxis case calling it "illegal and mala fide".

The CBI had in August 2014 filed a charge sheet against former telecom minister Dayanidhi Maran, his brother Kalanithi and six others, including four firms for the alleged offences punishable under section 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of IPC and under relevant provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The ED too had filed a charge sheet against Maran brothers, Kalanithi's wife Kavery, Managing Director of South Asia FM Ltd (SAFL) K Shanmugam, SAFL and Sun Direct TV Pvt Ltd (SDTPL) under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The court had, however, discharged Dayanidhi, Kalanithi and two firms - M/s Sun Direct TV (P) Ltd (SDTPL) and M/s South Asia Entertainment Holdings Ltd in both the agencies' cases on February 2 last year.

The order did not have any effect on two accused Malaysian nationals-- Marshall and Krishnan--in the CBI's case as the court had already segregated the proceedings against them from that of the Maran brothers and others.

In September 2015 the CBI had filed its status report regarding probe into FIPB approvals in Aircel Maxis case. The agency had in June 2016 also issued notice to A Palaniappan, director of Chess Management Services, a company promoted by Karti.