A Delhi Court on Monday granted interim protection from arrest to P Chidambaram till August 7, in the Aircel Maxis case.
Former finance minister P Chidambaram, earlier in the day, had filed a fresh anticipatory bail plea in Delhi’s Patiala House Court in the money laundering case.
On July 10, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had filed a detailed reply in the case and opposed Chidambaram’s previous anticipatory bail.
In its statement, the ED said that they have come to a bonafide conclusion that under anticipatory bail, it will not be possible to reach the truth.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on July 19 filed a fresh charge-sheet in the Aircel-Maxis case in a Delhi Court against 18 accused, including Chidambaram, his son, Karti, and select government officials (serving and retired).
In its new charge-sheet, the CBI said that two sets of money trails were discovered regarding Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance.
The Aircel-Maxis deal case, which emerged out of 2G spectrum cases, pertains to an FIPB clearance, granted to firm M/S Global Communication Holding Services Ltd for investment in Aircel.
The ED had earlier said that the FIPB approval granted in 2006 by Chidambaram was beyond his mandate as he was only authorised to accord approval on project proposals up to Rs 600 crore.
