The Supreme Court on Friday refused to refund a security deposit of Rs 10 crore to Karti Chidambaram, son of former Finance Minister P Chidambaram, which he had deposited with the court’s registry as a condition for being allowed to travel abroad, PTI reported.

The Central Bureau of Investigation and the Enforcement Directorate are investigating his alleged role in the Aircel-Maxis case and INX media case.

A bench headed by Justice Deepak Gupta said the amount will continue to remain in a fixed deposit for another three months.

The top court had dismissed Karti Chidambaram’s petition in May this year, and had asked him “pay attention to his constituency” – Sivaganga in Tamil Nadu.

In his plea then, the parliamentarian had claimed he had taken a loan to make the deposit and now needed it back to repay it. The court had granted Chidambaram permission to travel abroad in January and May and ordered him to pay a Rs 10-crore deposit each time. His counsel told the top court that since Chidambaram had returned after his first trip, the money should be returned.

Aircel-Maxis case adjourned indefinitely

A court in Delhi on Friday adjourned the Aircel-Maxis case indefinitely, PTI reported.

Special Judge OP Saini adjourned the matter without giving any date for next hearing, and said that the prosecution may approach the court as and when the probe was complete.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and Special Public Prosecutor Nitesh Rana, appearing for the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Enforcement Directorate respectively, sought adjournment on the ground that response to Letters Rogatory were awaited. They requested the court to adjourn the matter till first week in October.

“Prosecution seeking date after dates,” the court said. “Matter deferred sine die. Prosecution asked to approach the Court as and when the investigation is complete and as and when they receive Letters Rogatory from various countries.”

On Thursday, Saini had granted P Chidambaram and Karti Chidambaram anticipatory bail in both cases filed against them in the Aircel-Maxis matter. The court had said that if the two leaders were arrested, they can be released on a personal bond of Rs 1 lakh and a surety of a like amount. The court also asked them to join the investigation.

The Aircel-Maxis case pertains to clearances that the Foreign Investment Promotion Board granted to the firm Global Communication Holding Services Ltd for investment in telecom company Aircel in 2006. P Chidambaram was the Union finance minister at the time and Karti Chidambaram, who is a parliamentarian at present, allegedly facilitated the payment of bribes in the Aircel-Maxis transaction. The Enforcement Directorate, which is investigating a money laundering angle, is inquiring why Chidambaram approved the investment when only the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs can give green signal for such deals.

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