A Delhi court on Friday extended till February 1 interim protection from arrest to former Union minister P Chidambaram and his son Karti from arrest in the Aircel-Maxis scam.
Special CBI Judge O P Saini put up the matter for February 1 after Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the CBI, told the court that the ongoing probe was about to be completed.
The case relates to alleged irregularities in grant of FIPB approval in the Aircel-Maxis deal.
Senior advocates Kapil Sibal and A.M. Singhvi, appearing for the father-son duo, sought extension of protection granted to Chidambarams.
CBI also informed the court that requisite sanctions to prosecute certain public servants, accused in the case, has been obtained. It had earlier said that similar nod was procured for Mr. Chidambaram.
The court also adjourned the money laundering case, lodged on the basis of CBI case, for the next date after ED’s special public prosecutor Nitesh Rana made the request in this regard.
Mr. Chidambaram and his son Mr. Karti were named in the charge sheet filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation in the case on July 19. The agency filed a supplementary charge sheet before the special judge, who had fixed it for consideration on July 31.
The CBI is probing how Mr. Chidambaram, who was the Union Finance Minister in 2006, granted a Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) approval to a foreign firm, when only the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) was empowered to do it.
