Karti Chidambaram on Tuesday told a Delhi court that the Enforcement Directorate’s plea to revoke his interim relief from arrest in connection with the Aircel-Maxis case was “misconceived and baseless”, reported PTI. The agency has sought to interrogate him in custody.

Chidambaram told the court that he has fully cooperated with the investigation and has appeared before the agency six times since March 24. “On each of these occasions, the accused was questioned at length for about eight to ten hours every day,” his affidavit read. “These questions were mostly ‘fishing and roving’ and had no connection to the FIPB [Foreign Investment Promotion Board] or anything to do with Aircel-Maxis case.”

Chidambaram, the son of Congress leader and former Union minister P Chidambaram, pointed out that he responded to each and every summon issued by the Enforcement Directorate. “The accused has always cooperated with the investigation and is willing to cooperate in future and shall abide by all the conditions imposed on him,” the affidavit added.

The court will next hear the matter on September 25.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court allowed Karti Chidambaram to travel to the United Kingdom from September 20 to September 30. The Enforcement Directorate on Monday told the top court that the accused was “blatantly misusing” the freedom granted to him to travel abroad. The agency said Chidambaram was unavailable for investigation for 51 days on account of his foreign visits.

The case pertains to clearances that the Foreign Investment Promotion Board granted to the firm M/S Global Communication Holding Services Ltd for investment in Aircel in 2006. Chidambaram was the finance minister at the time and his son Karti Chidambaram allegedly facilitated bribes in the Aircel-Maxis transaction. The investigative agency is also looking into why P Chidambaram approved the investment when only the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs can give the green signal.

On August 7, a Delhi court extended the interim relief from jail granted to Karti Chidambaram and his father till October 8. The order was related to the Enforcement Directorate’s money laundering case as well as a corruption case filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation.

On July 31, the court granted the Central Bureau of Investigation time till October 1 to obtain sanctions from authorities to prosecute some of the accused in the case. The agency had filed a new chargesheet on July 19 against 18 people, including the former minister and his son. The chargesheet also named retired and serving government officials. The Enforcement Directorate had filed a chargesheet against Karti Chidambaram on July 13.

Both Karti Chidambaram and P Chidambaram have denied allegations in the matter.