SC asks ED to provide date for questioning Karti Chidambaram in Aircel, INX cases
New Delhi, Jan 28 : The Supreme Court Monday asked the Enforcement Directorate to specify by January 30 the date on which it wants to interrogate Karti Chidambaram, son of senior Congress leader P Chidambaram, in INX Media and Aircel Maxis cases.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Sanjiv Khanna asked Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the ED, to seek instructions and give the date on which the probe agency wanted to quiz Karti.
The bench was hearing Karti's plea seeking permission to travel to France, Spain, Germany and the United Kingdom for the next few months for international tennis tournaments organised by a company called 'Totus Tennis Ltd' having its registered office in the UK.
The plea, which also said that Karti is associated with tennis as a "former player, current administrator and entrepreneur", is being opposed by the ED.
"We will ensure both. We will ensure that he appears before you (ED) and he goes for his tennis assignment," the bench said. It however added: "No tennis for him if he evades".
The apex court had earlier refused urgent hearing on the plea of Karti saying, "Who is Karti? Karti Chidambaram, you are saying? Let him stay where he is. We have more important matters to decide".
On September 18 last year it had allowed Karti to travel to the UK from September 20-30.
Karti is facing criminal cases which are being investigated by the ED and the CBI.
One of the cases relates to the FIPB clearance to INX Media for receiving foreign funds of Rs 305 crore when his father was the finance minister.
The ED had said that Karti, who is also facing proceedings in cases like Aircel-Maxis and money laundering matters, has been "blatantly misusing" the liberty granted by court in allowing him to travel abroad and has been using the same to protract the investigation in the case.
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Bengaluru Police bust major drug network; 16 arrested, narcotics worth Rs 36.67 crore seized
Bengaluru: In a major crackdown on drug trafficking and illegal narcotics trade, Bengaluru City Police have arrested 16 accused persons and seized narcotic substances worth Rs 36.67 crore.
According to Bengaluru City Police Commissioner Seemanth Kumar Singh, those arrested include four foreign nationals, eight persons from other states and four locals. Police said the network had interstate as well as international links.
Police recovered 9 kg 64 grams of MDMA, 5 kg 195 grams of hydro ganja, 19,755 LSD strips, 156 grams of heroin, 618 grams of charas, 332 grams of cocaine, 315 grams of drug-mixed gummies and 11 kg 470 grams of ganja from the accused.
The Commissioner said the action was carried out as part of a major anti-drug operation in the city. The network was busted with the support of the CCB Narcotics Control Squad and police stations of Bagaluru, Adugodi, Chikkajala, HSR Layout, Yeshwanthpur, Jalahalli and Jnanabharathi.
Cases were registered in CCB, East Division and West Division police stations based on specific intelligence received on different dates, following which raids were conducted.
Preliminary investigation revealed that the accused were procuring drugs at lower prices from foreign, interstate and local sources and selling them in Bengaluru at higher rates.
Police said college students and working professionals were among the main targets of the accused.
