Rouse Avenue Court allows Karti Chidambaram to travel to France, UK

New Delhi [India], August 25 : The Rouse Avenue Court of Delhi on Friday allowed Congress leader Karti Chidambaram to travel to France and the United Kingdom from September 15 to September 27.
Karti Chidambaram is one of the accused in alleged Aircel-Maxis scam and INX Media scam cases.
Special Judge MK Nagpal said, applications moved on behalf of the accused in all the above cases stand allowed. 
However, it is again being made clear that this order of court will not come in the way of any further investigation going into the matters and it will not also affect the right of ED to raise this ground in objection to the pending request of the accused for grant of regular bail in this case or the right of investigating agencies in seeking cancellation of bail of the applicant in the other cases.
According to Karti's plea, he has been invited to attend a reputed international tennis tournament called St. Tropez Open to be held in St. Tropez, France from September 18 to September 24 and he has also then to travel to London, UK to meet his daughter, who is working and residing there.
Further, it was also submitted that he is even required to attend some meetings and business activities in London, UK as his company Totus Tennis Ltd., which is a co­organizer of ATP tournaments, was incorporated in the UK.
The court noted that counsels appearing on behalf of CBI as well as the ED have opposed these applications moved on behalf of the applicant while submitting that the documents enclosed with applications do not justify the requirement of the physical presence of the applicant during the above tournament in France, the proposed duration of his stay there and also the need or urgency for the applicant to visit his daughter in the UK.
Court noted that, while alleging some non-cooperation on the part of the applicant in the ongoing investigation in the ED matter during the course of a pending investigation of the above-said case, some fresh evidence has also surfaced to show that the applicant had dealt with and disposed of some shares of a company beneficially owned or controlled by him and has, thus, dealt with and destroyed the proceeds of crime.
The court in its order stated that he shall furnish before the court a security deposit of Rs.1 Crore only by way of FDR/bank draft and before leaving the country, he shall formalize his travel itinerary for the above said period and shall place it on record, along with details of the places or hotels where he shall be staying and his contact numbers abroad, and he shall further furnish a copy thereof to the concerned IOs of the CBI as well as the DoE.
Recently, the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) has attached 4 properties (three movable and one immovable property located at Coorg District, Karnataka) valued at Rs 11.04 Crore belonging to Karti P Chidambaram and Others in the case of INX Media Pvt Ltd and Others under the provisions of Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002.
Proceedings under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 was initiated against Karti P. Chidambaram, Advantage Strategic Consulting Pvt. Ltd. (ASCPL) and others by the ED by recording an ECIR on the basis of FIR registered by Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for commission of offences punishable under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 and Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, said ED in a press statement.
During the investigation conducted by ED, it was revealed that illegal gratification (proceeds of crime) was received directly and indirectly from INX Media Pvt. Ltd., to which accused P. Chidambaram had granted FIPB approval, through several shell companies controlled / beneficially owned and used by another accused Karti P Chidambaram.
Illegal gratification was received in the company of the accused in the name of providing consultancy by entities from INX Media. The total proceeds of crime laundered over a period of time is Rs 65.88 Crore. The money was routed to overseas accounts and investment was made in various overseas properties and shares of companies through various shell companies directly or indirectly controlled by Karti P Chidambaram and through his confidants.