Karti Chidambaram (PTI /File photo)
The Supreme Court Friday asked Karti Chidambaram, son of former Union finance minister P Chidambaram, to appear before the CBI in New Delhi on August 23 in connection with the investigation into a case of alleged corruption in the clearance granted by the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) to INX Media.
A bench of Chief Justice of India J S Khehar and Justice D Y Chandrachud, which was hearing Karti’s plea for cancelling the Look Out Circular (LOC) issued against him, said, “He shall carry with him all documents necessary for his defence keeping in mind the allegations in the FIR.” Although Karti, who was present in court, favoured appearing before the CBI in Chennai, the agency said it would be better if he came to the Capital.
Agreeing to a request from senior counsel Gopal Subramanium, who appeared for Karti, the court allowed him to be accompanied by a lawyer while appearing before the CBI. However the bench clarified that the lawyer will stay in the room adjoining the interrogation room. On Karti’s plea for cancellation of the LOC, the court said it would review the matter on September 1.
On August 14, the previous date of hearing, the court had lifted the stay imposed by the Madras High Court on the LOC and restrained Karti from travelling abroad without joining the investigation. The court noted that he had not appeared before the CBI despite the agency summoning him on July 21.
Subramanium termed this as “false” and said Karti was interrogated by the CBI in a case. But Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who represented the agency, pointed out that this was in connection with “some other offence” and not the case related to FIPB clearance for INX Media.
Karti claimed that the CBI was trying to link him to FIPB clearances granted by his father although he had no links with them. “Wherever my father has granted FIPB approval, I’m sought to be drawn into… my father and I walk different paths,” he said. But the bench cut short Subramanium as he proceeded to present the merits of the case, and said, “We are not interested in hearing the merits of the case. That’s not our job. That’s the job of our investigation officer,” said CJI Khehar.
The court then told the ASG that the LOC should expire once Karti appeared before the CBI. “LOC is issued because of the apprehension that somebody may not comply with the summons. But once that purpose is subserved, nothing survives,” said Justice Chandrachud.
Opposing this, ASG Mehta said the court could order that the circular be reviewed every month. Mehta went on to submit a report in a sealed cover to the bench and said, “This will show why allowing him to travel abroad will not be in the interest of justice.” Seeking to know why the LOC should be kept alive, CJI Khehar said, “After the interrogation, either you will find material against him or you will not…If there is material, then you can arrest him.” To this, the ASG said the agency had material against Karti even now, but was trying other statutory measures.
The CJI then told Subramanium that “what he (the ASG) is saying probably is ‘we are only doing this, we could have done much more’.” The court also directed four other accused to present themselves before the CBI for questioning before the case comes up on September 1.
