ED Charge Sheet Names Former Finance Minister Chidambaram As Accused In Aircel Maxis Case
On October 25, ED intensified investigation on former finance minister P Chidambaram and others in the Aircel-Maxis case and filed a supplementary charge sheet against them.
ED files supplementary prosecution complaint in Aircel Maxis case against P. Chidambaram, S. Bhaskararaman, M/s Aircel Televentures Ltd., Augustus Ralph Marshall resident of Malaysia & others under PMLA for illegal FIBP approval by P.Chidambaram in March, 2006.
— ED (@dir_ed) October 25, 2018
According to The Livemint report, 26 November has been fixed for consideration of charge sheet by the court. Both P Chidambaram and his son Karti Chidambaram have been granted interim protection from arrest till November 1 by the PMLA Court.
Timeline of events
March 2006: Maxis group owned by Malaysian business tycoon T Ananda Krishnan took over Aircel by buying 74 percent stake.
Maxis Communications was founded in Malaysia in 1993. The company provides a variety of services including developing a wide range of applications, software and other value-added services. In their first year in India, they had 2 million subscribers in the beginning which they doubled by the end of the year.
October 2011: the first complaint was filed against the then Telecom Minister, Dayanidhi Maran and Maxis group by C Sivansankaran, founder of Aircel, accusing them of forcibly persuading him to sell his holdings in the company.
February 2012: Enforcement Directorate registers money laundering case against Dayanidhi Maran and television mogul Kalanidhi Maran (brother) under Prevention of Money laundering Act. ED accused Maran brothers of illegally laundering Rs 550 crore
August 2013: Bench headed by Justice Singhvi saw slow progress in the case and gave CBI two months time. The apex court said to proceed with the charge sheet even if Malaysian authorities deny giving away confidential details. Later, CBI filed a charge sheet against nine people including T Ananda Krishnan, Maran brothers and Augustus Ralph Marshall.
September 2014: CBI inquires Chidambaram in the case as he sanctioned the deal worth Rs 3500 crore for Rs 600 crore for Aircel-Maxis. CBI examined him in connection with the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB).
December 2015: ED raids Karti Chidambaram’s house. P Chidambaram says it is a conspiracy by the ruling government
February 2016: Maran brothers and Kaveri Maran (Wife of Kalanithi Maran) are named in a separate charge sheet filed by enforcement directorate. ED said that Rs 742.58 crore was laundered to Maran Family by two Mauritius based companies.
September 2016: Warrants issued against two Malaysian nationals (T Ananda Krishnan and Augustus Ralph Marshall) to appear before the Court. Court decided to divide the trail into two parts. One for accused who were appearing in the court and another for accused not appearing in the court.
January 2017: SC orders cancellation of 2G spectrum license granted in 2006 if Maxis group directors fail to appear before the court.
February 2017: The special CBI court acquitted Maran brothers and others accused in the case in an unexpected verdict.
April 2017: CBI says to the Top court that its report inquiring about former finance minister P Chidambaram and his son, Karti Chidambaram as they found irregularities in FIPB approval and money laundering respectively against them.
September 2017: Karti does not appear before CBI. He says that charges against all accused in Aircel-Maxis case were dropped by CBI, and he accused them by saying this was an attempt to defame him and his family.
January 2018: ED searches houses connected with Karti Chidambaram in different states.
April 2018: ED questions Karti under Prevention of Money Laundering act and records his statement.
June 2018: ED questions P Chidambaram twice in connection with the case. SC accepts to listen to the fresh plea filed by BJP leader Subramaniam Swamy. Later, Chidambaram gets relief as the high court granted protection against any coercive actions.
July 2018: Once again interim relief is granted to Chidambaram and his son.
August 2018: Delhi Court extends interim protection again for both till 8th October. Later CBI accuses that Chidambaram was willfully ignoring the norms. CBI says that Chidambaram got Rs 1.13 crore in Aircel-Maxis Case.
September 2018: SC allows Karti Chidambaram to travel abroad.
October 2018: Court grants seven weeks to CBI to obtain sanction to prosecute all accused in Aircel-Maxis case. ED files supplementary charge sheet against Chidambaram.
Source: The Logical Indian
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