New Delhi: In a significant development, the CBI on Monday told a Delhi court that it had obtained the requisite sanction from the authorities to prosecute former Union minister P. Chidambaram in the Aircel-Maxis case.
The court, which further extended the protection from arrest to Chidambaram and his son Karti till December 18, also granted three weeks to the probe agency to get sanction against some other accused in the case.
Special Judge O.P. Saini posted the next date of hearing on December 18. There are 18 accused in the case. Besides Chidambaram, sanction is required for the prosecution of five public servants.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta submitted on behalf of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) that “the competent authority in the Central government has accorded sanction for prosecution of accused P. Chidambaram under Section 197 of CrPC and Section 19 of Prevention of Corruption Act”.
“Sanction for prosecution in respect of remaining accused public servants (five) are still awaited,” he said, seeking two more weeks to get the nod.
The CBI said that the court’s refusal to grant more time to obtain the sanction for other accused “in a matter pertaining to such a serious offences, may frustrate the cause of justice”. The senior Congress leader and his son have come under the scanner of investigating agencies in the Rs 3,500-crore Aircel-Maxis deal and the INX Media case involving Rs 305 crore.
