SC permits Karti Chidambaram to fly abroad on furnishing Rs 1 crore

The Supreme Court on Monday allowed Congress MP Karti Chidambaram, who is being investigated in a money-laundering case, to travel abroad between October 25 and November 21 on the condition of depositing Rs 1 crore.

Media reports said Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Enforcement Directorate, was making a case against Karti, son of former finance minister P Chidambaram, travelling abroad. He told the SC that Karti had not cooperated in the probe and did not respond appropriately to summons.

The court reportedly said the matter of his cooperation in the probe will be considered further.

This February, Karti had been permitted to travel abroad if he furnished a detailed itinerary and security of Rs 2 crore. Earlier, the SC had allowed Karti to travel to the UK, US, France, Germany and Spain, after depositing Rs 10 crore with the secretary-general of the court, and filing an undertaking that he would return and cooperate with the investigation.

Karti is facing criminal cases related to the Aircel-Maxis deal and is accused of helping INX Media access Rs 305 crore in foreign funds by facilitating Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance in 2007. Karti was arrested in March 2018 at the Chennai airport minutes after his flight from London landed. The INX Media case also saw P Chidambaram behind bars for more than 100 days in Tihar Jail in 2019.

It is alleged that P Chidambaram withheld the FIPB clearance of the deal until Karti received 5 per cent share in the firm.

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