Scared PC in court for relief

Another senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal, also a former minister, represented P Chidambaram in court.

Former union minister P Chidambaram today moved a Delhi court for protection from arrest in the Aircel Maxis money-laundering case in which his son Karti Chidambaram is an accused. The court has told the Enforcement Directorate that no coercive action can be taken against Mr Chidambaram until the next hearing on June 5.

The senior Congress leader has to appear for the hearing.

Another senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal, also a former minister, represented Mr Chidambaram in court.

The Enforcement Directorate is investigating foreign investment clearance granted in 2006 to the Aircel-Maxis deal, when Mr Chidambaram was finance Minister in the Congress-led central government.

Karti Chidambaram was arrested by the CBI in February this year.

According to the CBI charge-sheet, Mauritius-based Global Communication Services Holdings, a subsidiary of Maxis, had sought approval for an investment of 800 million dollars in Aircel.

Though a cabinet panel led by the Prime Minister should have cleared the deal, the CBI said, the approval was granted by the Finance Minister at the time.

The CBI also alleges that Rs. 26 lakh was paid by Aircel Televentures Limited to a company allegedly linked to Karti Chidambaram days after the approval by the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB).