Delhi High Court Stays Trial in Aircel-Maxis Case Involving P. Chidambaram

The Delhi High Court provided relief to senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram on Wednesday by staying proceedings in the Aircel-Maxis case filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The court issued notices to the ED in response to Chidambaram's petition and deferred the next hearing to January 22, 2024.

The ED had filed a chargesheet in a money laundering case against Chidambaram and his son, Karti Chidambaram, in a trial court, which had issued summons on November 27, 2021. Justice Manoj Kumar Ohri announced the stay and indicated that detailed orders would follow.

Chidambaram's legal team, including senior advocates N. Hariharan, Arshdeep Singh Khurana, and Akshat Gupta, argued that the prosecution lacked the necessary sanction under Section 197(1) of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC). They also contended that the allegations did not pertain to official duties, thus making the chargesheet invalid without prior approval.

The ED, however, argued that no such sanction was required, claiming that the allegations fell outside the scope of Chidambaram's official duties as the former Finance Minister.

The case dates back to 2006, when Chidambaram, as Finance Minister, allegedly approved the Aircel-Maxis deal through the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) beyond his jurisdiction, allegedly benefiting certain parties. Both the CBI and ED had filed cases against Chidambaram and Karti, with investigations focusing on alleged money laundering and corruption.

The Delhi High Court's interim relief marks a significant development in the long-running case.