Aircel-Maxis case: Delhi court gives CBI, ED time till May 4 to wrap up probe

A Delhi court on Thursday (February 20) granted time till May 4 to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) to complete probe in the Aircel-Maxis matter against former Union Minister P Chidambaram and his son Karti.

The ED told special judge Ajay Kumar Kuhar that Letters Rogatory (LRs) have been sent to four countries and their response were awaited in connection with the case. LR is issued by courts on the request of an investigation agency when it wants information from another country.

The court had on January 28 “revived” the Aircel-Maxis cases filed by the CBI and ED against Chidambaram and his son 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 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.