New Delhi: Karti Chidambaram, son of former finance minister P. Chidambaram, moved the Supreme Court on Wednesday, challenging the summons issued to him by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for questioning in the Aircel-Maxis case.
He urged the court to put on hold his appearance before the investigating agency which was due on Wednesday and alleged that it would tarnish his image and that of his family.
A fresh notice issued by the CBI on 26 September had sought his appearance for questioning in the matter on 4 October. He was earlier to appear for questioning on 14 September; he refused to show up and said the agency did not have the jurisdiction to summon him since the special CBI court had dropped charges against him and all others in the case on 2 February.
The case being investigated is related to alleged irregularities in the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB)’s clearance to media house INX Media for receiving overseas funds. The allegation is that Karti Chidambaram facilitated this using the agency of his father.
Both father and son have been questioned under the ongoing CBI probe on various occasions.
Karti has also challenged a lookout notice issued against him in relation to a corruption case being investigated by the CBI. The lookout notice was issued on 16 June and was aimed at preventing him from leaving the country so that he could be present to participate in the ongoing investigation against him.
On 14 August, a bench headed by then Supreme Court chief justice J.S. Khehar stayed a Madras high court order that had earlier blocked the lookout circular issued against Karti Chidambaram and others in relation to the corruption case. Thereafter, he has been asked by the court to appear before the investigating officer in connection with the probe.
The case will be heard next on 9 October.