SC bars Karti Chidambaram from leaving nation, CBI justifies ‘look out’ notice

Karti Chidambaram, former Union minister P Chidambaram’s son, has been barred from leaving the nation by the Supreme Court on Friday. 

On August 18, the apex court had asked Karti Chidambaram to appear before the Central Bureau of Investigation on August 23 for questioning in a corruption case.

A CBI lookout notice against him will continue till September 11, when the apex court will hear the matter, ANI reported. The Supreme Court said it would examine the CBI interrogation report on the alleged irregular Foreign Exchange Promotion Board clearance to INX media in 2007.

The CBI on Friday asserted in the apex court that there was “good, cogent” reason for the lookout circulars against Karti.

Read | INX Media case: CBI grills Karti Chidambaram for 8 hours, asks him to appear again on August 28

A bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra took on record the documents placed by CBI in a sealed cover in connection with the case.

The bench, also comprising Justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud, asked the CBI to respond to the affidavit filed by Karti in connection with his questioning by investigators before whom he had appeared on August 23 and 28.

Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the bench that there was “a good, cogent reason for issuance of lookout circular against him (Karti). It is not a simple case or that of one company but it involves jugglery of accounts and properties abroad”.

Appearing for Karti, senior advocate Gopal Subramanium submitted on his behalf, “What is the subject matter of enquiry is not me but my father who happened to be the finance minister giving Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) approvals to a company in 2007 and it is alleged that one of the conditions had been violated”.

He added that not a single person of the six-member FIPB, who were secretary-level officers, had been examined in the case.

The apex court has posted the matter for hearing on September 11.

Read | Karti Chidambaram appears before CBI in connection with corruption case