The Enforcement Directorate on Thursday filed a plea in the Delhi High Court seeking the cancellation of the anticipatory bail granted to former Union minister P Chidambaram and his son Karti Chidambaram in the Aircel-Maxis case, PTI reported. The plea is likely to be taken up on Friday.

Chidambaram has been lodged in Tihar jail since September 5 in connection with the INX Media case.

On September 5, a special court in Delhi 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 had asked them to join investigation in the case and granted them anticipatory bail in both cases filed against them in the Aircel-Maxis matter.

The court had added that the charges against the father-son duo were not grave as the amount allegedly laundered was only Rs 1.13 crore.

The Central Bureau of Investigation and the ED had filed separate cases in the matter.

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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