The Madras High Court today posted to tomorrow a plea filed by Karti Chidambaram, who is now in judicial custody in the INX Media corruption case, challenging the lookout circular issued against him in the case filed by the CBI.
Earlier, Karti was today sent to judicial custody till March 24 in the case by a Delhi court which also dismissed his plea to provide him a separate cell in the Tihar Jail due to his threat perception.
The CBI has alleged irregularities in the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance to INX Media for receiving overseas funds of about Rs 305 crore in 2007 when his father P Chidambaram was Union finance minister.
The first bench of the Madras High Court, comprising Chief Justice Indira Banerjee and Justice Abdul Quddhose, which heard oral arguments submitted on the plea, posted the matter for submission of written arguments to March 13.
When the matter came up, senior counsel for Karti, Gopal Subramaniam, submitted that the CBI ought not to have arrested Karti at the Chennai airport on February 28 at the time of his return from London to India, in compliance with a court condition.
The agency should have obtained the leave of the high court before arresting Karti," he said.
The counsel submitted that the CBI has failed to mention the reasons for issuing such a circular.
Denying the contention, Additional Solicitor General G Rajagopalan submitted that the high court in its order has not stated anything about his arrest while permitting him to travel abroad.
Moreover, it is up to the the investigating agency to decide whom to arrest and where, he submitted.
Karti's failure to appear before the investigating officer despite the directions of the Supreme Court led to the issuance of a lookout notice, he said.
he agency apprehended that he might abscond to a foreign country to evade investigation, Rajagopalan added.
The bench recorded the submissions and posted the plea toMarch 13for the parties to submit their respective written arguments.
On February 16, the high court permitted Karti to travel abroad with certain conditions.
The CBI FIR, lodged on May 15 last year, had alleged irregularities in the FIPB clearance to INX Media. The lookout circular was issued in connection with the FIR.
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