Karti Chidambaram has reportedly informed investigators that he is abroad and needs time to organize the documents they have requested. The Enforcement Directorate is investigating the case. (File Photo - Karti and P Chidambaram)
Highlights
- Karti is son of former Finance Minister P Chidambaram
- Telecom Aircel sold in 2006 to Malaysia's Maxis Group
- Karti Chidambaram's firms linked to kickbacks: Investigators
Karti Chidambaram, the son of former union minister P Chidambaram, has been ordered to appear for questioning as part of a government investigation into how telecom firm Aircel was sold to a Malaysian giant named Maxis.
The sale and foreign investment was cleared by the Finance Ministry, which was headed by Mr Chidambaram.
Karti Chidambaram has reportedly informed investigators that he is abroad and needs time to organize the documents they have requested.
In 2006, C Sivasankaran was the owner or Aircel. He claims that as Telecom Minister, Dayanidhi Maran forced him to sell his firm to Malaysian tycoon T. Ananda Krishnan. The country's premier investigating agency, the CBI, has alleged that in return, Maxis invested nearly 47 crore in the Sun Group, run by Mr Maran's brother, Kalanithi.
A firm owned by Karti Chidambaram allegedly received payments from Maxis after the deal was executed, and the Enforcement Directorate, which studies financial crimes, says companies linked to Karti Chidambaram received large kickbacks paid by Maxis, which, like the Chidambarams, has denied any wrongdoing. The Enforcement Directorate is also looking at whether Karti Chidambaram, through a matrix of firms, facilitated money-laundering of bribes paid in the Aircel-Maxis transaction.
Offices of firms associated with Karti Chidambaram were raided in December.
"If the government wishes to target me, they should do so directly, not harass friends of my son who carry on their own businesses and have nothing to do with politics," Mr Chidambaram said a few months ago about the inquiry.