Recently Karti Chidambaram son of former finance minister P Chidambaram had summoned a petition to the High Court for putting down a “look out circular” issued against him under the Passport Act over a corruption case filed by the CBI. Responding to which the court said on Friday that a lookout notice issued by the CBI against Karti Chidambaram, effectively preventing him from travelling abroad, would stay for now and his plea to lift it will be heard after August 23.
Karti is charged by the CBI with the allegations of receiving a payoff for facilitating foreign investment clearance for INX Media (now know as 9X media) in 2008, criminal conspiracy, cheating and corruption. M/s INX Media (P) Ltd., represented by its then directors Indrani Mukherjea and Pritam Mukherjea alias Peter Mukherjea; Chess Management Services (represented through its director Mr. Karti Chidambaram); Advantage Strategic Consultancy (P) Ltd., represented through its director Padma Vishwanathan and unknown Finance Ministry officials are also accused of being involved in the conspiracy.
As per the latest updates on the case, the Supreme Court asked Karti Chidambaram to appear before the Central Bureau of Investigation on August 23 for questioning. On the request of Karti’s lawyer Gopal Subramanium, a bench comprising Chief Justice of India JS Khehar and DY Chandrachud permitted a lawyer to accompany him to the CBI headquarters during the questioning. However, the lawyer will not be allowed within the hearing range of the questioning.