SC allows Karti Chidambaram to travel abroad in May

New Delhi: The Supreme Court Tuesday allowed Karti Chidambaram, who is facing criminal cases being probed by the ED and CBI, to travel to the US, Germany and Spain this month.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices Deepak Gupta and Sanjiv Khanna said the permission to travel abroad was subject to compliance of conditions imposed earlier.

The apex court had in January granted Karti, son of Congress leader P Chidambaram, permission to travel abroad after depositing Rs 10 crore with the secretary general of the Supreme Court.

The court, on the request of ED, had earlier asked Karti to file an undertaking that he would return to India and cooperate with the investigation. The court had said that it would “come down heavily” on Karti if he did not cooperate.

The probe agency had earlier opposed the plea of Karti seeking permission to travel abroad, and said he has been evasive, non-cooperative and caused delay in completing the investigations.

Karti was abroad for 51 days in the last 6 months, the probe agency had said. On September 18 last year it had allowed Karti to travel to the UK from September 20-30.

The ED has said that Karti, who is also facing proceedings in cases like Aircel-Maxis and money laundering matters, has been “blatantly misusing” the liberty granted by court in allowing him to travel abroad and has been using the same to protract the investigation in the case.

Karti is facing several criminal cases being investigated by the ED and CBI including one which relates to the Foreign Investment Promotion Board clearance to INX Media for receiving foreign funds of Rs 305 crore when his father was the finance minister.