The Enforcement Directorate on Saturday opposed the anticipatory bail plea that Karti Chidambaram, the son of former Finance Minister P Chidambaram, filed in a court in the Patiala House Courts complex in New Delhi in the Aircel-Maxis case. The court will pronounce its judgement on the bail application at 3 pm.

The agency accused Karti Chidambaram of “forum shopping” and said he had approached “multiple courts through multiple applications”.

The case relates to the approvals the Foreign Investment Promotion Board granted for the Aircel-Maxis deal in 2006, when P Chidambaram was the finance minister. Karti Chidambaram allegedly facilitated bribes in the Aircel-Maxis transaction. The investigative agency is looking into “the circumstances” in which P Chidambaram, in his capacity as the finance minister, granted the Foreign Investment Promotion Board approvals.

“The allegation is that then Finance Minister P Chidambaram had granted the approvals without going to the CCEA,” said lawyer Kapi Sibal, referring to the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs. “The question is whether the finance minister’s approvals were valid. What has that got to do with Karti Chidambaram?”

The Delhi High Court on Friday granted bail to Karti Chidambaram in connection with the INX Media money laundering case. The bench asked him to pay a surety of Rs 10 lakh. He is not allowed travel abroad and cannot influence witnesses or close bank accounts, the court said.