Supreme Court allows Karti to travel abroad

Bench nod after CBI suggestions

CHENNAI, TAMIL NADU, 05/11/2014: Karti Chidambaram, son of former Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram in Chennai on November 05, 2014. Photo: B. Jothi Ramalingam

The Supreme Court on Monday granted Karti Chidambaram, son of former Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram, permission to travel to the United Kingdom for 10 days for the admission of his daughter in a Cambridge University college.

A Bench led by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra permitted Mr. Karti to travel abroad from December 1 to 10 after taking into consideration certain suggestions placed before it by the Central Bureau of Investigation.

CBI probe

The CBI is probing his alleged involvement in the grant of FIPB clearance to INX Media.

Karti had moved the court to quash a lookout circular issued by the government to prevent him from travelling abroad.

The CBI, represented by senior advocate Tushar Mehta and advocate Rajat Nair, in a note handed over to the court, expressed “serious apprehension of the respondent [Karti] not returning if allowed to leave India and also tamper with the evidence”.

But the CBI said that “if the court is inclined to allow the respondent to leave India for a limited duration and for the aforesaid purpose [admission of his daughter], it may do so”.

The court directed Mr. Karti to file an undertaking within three days with his flight details and that he will come back by December 10.