SC permits Karti Chidambaram to visit UK for daughter’s admission in Cambridge

Karti Chidambaram at the CBI office in New Delhi. (Express photo: Prem Nath Pandey)

The Supreme Court on Monday allowed Karti Chidambaram, the son of former finance minister P Chidambaram, to travel to UK from December 1 to 10.

Karti, who is facing a CBI probe over graft charges in connection with a Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance to a media house, had sought permission to visit Cambridge to admit his daughter in the university and attend a seminar, and visit London to attend the meeting of a tennis body of which he was an office-bearer.

The apex court, however, imposed conditions on Karti for his visit abroad, asking him to furnish an undertaking that he will return as directed.

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Earlier this month, the CBI had informed the top court that Karti may not return if he is allowed to go abroad. “He may not return to India… once this happens, except passing strictures, we are helpless,” Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told a bench of Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud.

The investigating agency also said it had issued a lookout circular against Karti, pointing out that he had “tampered with evidence” during recent visits abroad and was apprehensive that he might repeat this if allowed to go again.