A Delhi court on Monday granted interim protection from arrest till August 7 to former Union minister P Chidambaram in the Aircel-Maxis case filed by the CBI. Special CBI judge OP Saini gave three weeks to the CBI to file a detailed reply to Chidambaram’s application seeking anticipatory bail in the case and also restrained it from taking any coercive action against the Congress leader till the next date of hearing on August 7.

Apprehending that the investigative agency might arrest him in the case, senior advocate Kapil Sibal argued that “nothing is preventing them (the CBI) from arresting me (Chidambaram). I am apprehending arrest in the current matter. They can arrest me as a matter of law. I am made an accused for nothing.” He also told the court that the agency had called Chidambaram only once for questioning in 2014 and since then he had not been asked to appear before it.

The CBI opposed the anticipatory bail application moved by the former FM, saying it was not maintainable as Chidambaram did not point out any evidence to show his apprehension of arrest. Chidambaram and his son Karti Chidambaram were named in the charge sheet filed by the CBI in the case on July 19. The agency also filed a supplementary charge sheet before the special judge, who has fixed it for consideration on July 31.
The senior Congress leader’s role has come under the scanner of investigating agencies in the `3,500-crore Aircel-Maxis deal and the INX Media case involving `305 crore.

The CBI is probing how Chidambaram, who was finance minister in 2006, granted a Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) approval to Mauritius-based Global Communication Services Holdings, a subsidiary of Maxis, when only the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) was empowered to do it.

Former telecom minister Dayanidhi Maran, his brother Kalanithi Maran and other accused named in the CBI charge sheet have been discharged by the special court as the agency had failed to produce any material against them to proceed with
the trial.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is also probing a separate money laundering case in the Aircel-Maxis matter, in which Chidambaram and Karti have been questioned by the agency. Both Chidambaram and Karti have denied the allegations levelled against them by the CBI and the ED.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court allowed Karti to visit the UK, France and the US July 23 to 31 for business purposes. However, the court made it clear that he has to abide by the conditions imposed by it in an earlier similar order including surrendering his passport with the ED when he returns.