Chidambaram moves HC for protection from arrest in INX case
New Delhi, May 30: Senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram on Wednesday moved the Delhi High Court for protection from arrest in the INX Media case, hours after a court extended to him interim protection from arrest in the Aircel-Maxis deal case.
Chidambaram, former Union Finance Minister, was asked by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to appear before it on May 31 for questioning in the INX Media case.
His son Karti was arrested on February 28 for allegedly taking money to facilitate Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance to INX Media in 2007 when his father was the Union Finance Minister in the UPA government. Later, Karti was granted bail.
On Wednesday morning, a special court granted interim protection to P. Chidambaram from arrest till June 5 in the Aircel-Maxis deal case.
Special Judge O.P. Saini announced the order and directed him to join the investigation on June 5, the date when the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has asked him to appear before it for questioning.
The court asked the ED to file a response to Chidambaram's anticipatory bail plea and listed the matter for hearing on June 5.
Earlier, the court granted interim protection to Karti Chidambaram from arrest till July 10 in the Aircel-Maxis deal case.
"All evidence in this case appears to be documentary in nature, which is already in the possession of probe agencies. Further, the said documentary evidence is largely in the form of files of the Ministry of Finance, which are currently in safe and secure possession of the government of the day," Chidambaram's counsel P.K. Dubey said in the plea.
Dubey added that his client will not tamper with evidences in the case.
The CBI and the ED are investigating how Karti Chidambaram managed to get a clearance from the FIPB in the Aircel-Maxis deal when his father P. Chidambaram was the Finance Minister in 2006.
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LPG crunch hits Mangaluru, canteens, hotels shut
Mangaluru: After major cities including Bengaluru and Chennai, the LPG shortage crisis has also struck Mangaluru now.
Reports are emerging about the closure of several hotels, canteens and street food outlets in the city.
The shortage is triggered by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, which has been worsening day by day.
According to reports, several hotels, canteens and street food preparation units have been forced to shut down operations in some areas due to the lack of commercial LPG cylinders.
In Dakshina Kannada district, hotels, restaurants and street food stalls have reportedly remained closed for the past two to three days in several locations.
On Saturday as well, hotel owners in many parts of the district, including Mangaluru city, faced difficulties in obtaining commercial gas cylinders.
Some establishments had stocked cylinders in advance and managed to continue operations for a few days.
However some owners said they may have no option but to shut down if the shortage continues.
The impact of the situation has also been felt in the fisheries sector.
Fishermen said that there is strong demand from abroad for fish varieties such as shrimp, anjal, manji and bondas, which are usually exported. However, restrictions on the movement of container ships have affected the fishing industry as well.
Leaders of the hotel owners’ associations in Udupi and Dakshina Kannada districts have urged the authorities to distribute LPG cylinders equally to their sector as well.
They warned that if the supply is not ensured, more hotels may have to shut down.
At present, district administrations have prioritised LPG supply for essential sectors including domestic households, educational institutions, hospitals, hostels, dormitories and religious institutions.
Meanwhile, a few hotels that still use fire wood for cooking have continued their operations.
Meanwhile, timber traders have also said that even firewood is now facing a shortage, as supply is unable to meet the rising demand.
