Supreme Court Allows Karti Chidambaram MP To Travel Abroad For Six Months On Condition Of Depositing 2Cr

The Supreme Court on Monday allowed Congress MP Karti Chidambaram's application to travel abroad on a condition of depositing Rs. 2 crores.

A bench comprising Justices Ashok Bhushan and R Subhash Reddy further directed that Karti Chidambaram should furnish his itinerary of foreign travel and the places where he is going to stay. The permission is for a period of 6 months.

When Karti's counsel Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal requested that the deposit be directed to be made in an interest-bearing account, the bench agreed and said that it will direct the deposit to be in a nationalized bank.

Karti Chidambaram, son of Senior Advocate and former Union Minister P Chidambaram, has to seek the permission of the top court to travel abroad as he is out on bail in the Aircel-Maxis, INX Media cases.

The Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, appearing for the Enforcement Directorate, while opposing the grant of the application, argued that the permission, if at all be granted, should be done by depositing a sum of Rs. 10 crores, as was done earlier.

However, Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing on behalf of Karti Chidambaram submitted "Why should an MP asked to deposit Rs. 10 crores?"

"He is an MP. He is not going to run away. Travel abroad is a fundamental right as held in Menaka Gandhi." Sibal argued.

The Solicitor General Tushar Mehta submitted before the Court that Karti Chidambaram was an accused before the enforcement directorate and that in such circumstances, it doesn't matter if one is an MP or not.

Justice Ashok Bhushan said "We can reduce the amount to some extent. From 10 crores to 5 crores."

"The Court has granted me bail on finding that there is no chance of tampering evidence. I have travelled abroad without this condition. This condition was imposed in 2020 by Justice Gogoi. I have travelled in 2017 and 2018 without such conditions." Sibal submitted.

When Sibal submitted that there is no chance of Karti running away, being a Member of Parliament, the Solicitor General remarked "it has happened before".

Karti is facing criminal cases which are being investigated by the ED and the CBI in relation to alleged money laundering in Aircel-Maxis, INX deals. While granting him bail, the Court had restrained him from leaving country except with Court's permission.