Don’t Play With the Law, Will Come Down Heavily: SC to Karti

Karti has been ordered to appear before the ED in March with regard to the Aircel-Maxis deal and INX Media case.

Karti Chidambaram. (Photo Courtesy: Twitter/@)KartiPC)

The Supreme Court has directed Karti Chidambaram to appear before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for interrogation with respect to his role in the Aircel-Maxis deal and INX Media case on 5, 6, 7 and 12 March, reported ANI.

The top court had on Monday asked the ED to specify the date on which it wants to interrogate Karti, according to PTI.

The apex court on Wednesday also allowed Chidambaram to travel abroad but under specific conditions. The SC told Chidambaram to deposit Rs 10 crore with the court if he wanted to go abroad.“You can go wherever you want to, you can do whatever you want, but don't play around with the law. If there is an iota of non-cooperation, will come down heavily,” CJI Ranjan Gogoi told Karti, according to the ANI report.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi said, “You go wherever you want to go, between 10 and 26 February, you must cooperate with the investigation.”

Chidambaram had sought permission to go abroad from 10 February to 26 February and again from 23 March to 31 March, in order to travel to France, Spain, Germany and the United Kingdom for international tennis tournaments organised by a company called 'Totus Tennis Ltd' which has a registered office in the UK.

The plea is being opposed by the ED.

According to PTI, the court had on Monday said that it will ensure that he appears before the agency and also goes for his tennis assignment, adding that “No tennis for him if he evades.”

On 18 September last year it had allowed Karti to travel to the UK from 20-30 September.

According to PTI, the bench also warned Chidambaram that he had not been cooperating and that they were not saying some things that they wanted to say.

(With inputs from ANI and PTI.)