The Supreme Court on Wednesday allowed former defence minister P Chidambaram’s son Karti Chidambaram to travel abroad but warned that the court will “come down heavily” on him if he does not cooperate with the probe agencies.
The court allowed him to travel to the UK and Spain in February and March adding a stern rider directing him to co-operate with the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in its probe into his alleged role in the INX Media deal and the Aircel Maxis case.
“You can go wherever you want to, you can do whatever you want, but don’t play around the law. If there is an iota of non-cooperation, will come down heavily,” CJI Ranjan Gogoi told Karti.
The apex court also ordered Karti Chidambaram to deposit Rs 10 crore as security with the Secretary General of the Supreme Court.
The court further directed Karti to appear before the Enforcement Directorate for interrogation with respect to his role in the Aircel-Maxis deal and the INX Media case on March 5, 6, 7 and 12.
His travel dates are from February 10 to 26 and again from March 23 to 31.
The ED had earlier alleged that Karti was “blatantly misusing” the liberty granted by the court in allowing him to travel abroad and has been using the same to protract the investigation in the case.
The Supreme Court had last year declined Karti’s request for an urgent hearing seeking permission to travel abroad. Karti had sought the permission to travel aboard from November 3.
The apex court had on July 23 last year allowed Karti to visit the United Kingdom, France and the United States of America from July 23 to 31, making it clear that he has to abide by the conditions imposed by it in an earlier similar order.
The bench had said that Karti will have to surrender his passport with the ED when he returns from his visit.
The court had allowed Karti to travel abroad with certain conditions, including that he would not open or close any bank account abroad.
Karti has been facing criminal cases being investigated by the ED and the CBI.
One of the cases relates to FIPB clearance to INX Media for receiving foreign funds of Rs 305 crore when his father was the finance minister. He is also facing proceedings in cases like Aircel-Maxis and money laundering matters.
Previously on Monday, a Delhi court had extended till February 18 the interim protection from arrest granted to former Union minister P Chidambaram and his son Karti from arrest in the Aircel-Maxis scam.