ED, CBI Submit Status Reports In Aircel-Maxis Case

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) have submitted status reports in Aircel-Maxis case, involving former Finance Minister P Chidambaram and his son Karti, before a Delhi court.

The ED submitted the report in a sealed envelope and told the court that active investigation is underway in the matter.

The CBI informed that Letters Rogatory (LR) had been sent to Malaysia and the status was awaited on it.

Letter Rogatory is a formal request for judicial assistance from a foreign court. The agency also claimed to be working on a new lead.

After submission of reports, District Judge Sujata Kohli posted the matter to February 20 at 10 a.m.

On January 31, the court had directed both the agencies to file a status report in the matter in two weeks.

Issuing directions, the court had earlier observed that the allegations mentioned in the charge sheet appeared to be “quite serious in nature” and keeping the matter as “adjourned sine die was not conducive to the interest of justice".

Chidambaram and his son are currently out on bail.

Allowing their anticipatory bails, then Special CBI Judge O.P. Saini had maintained that they couldn't commit any similar crime since they held no position in the government at present.

The court had observed that the evidence on the alleged crime was documentary in nature and thus could not be tampered with by the accused.

The case relates to alleged irregularities in the grant of Foreign Investment Promotion Board approval in the Aircel-Maxis deal. The approval was granted in 2006 when P. Chidambaram was the Union Finance Minister.

According to rules and the foreign direct investment policy in force at that time, Chidambaram was allegedly empowered to give approval to proposals involving foreign investment only up to Rs 600 crore.