Chidambaram and son face heat as special court issues new summons in Aircel-Maxis FIPB scam
A special court here has issued fresh summons to Malaysian telecom giant Maxis and its former director Augustus Ralph Marshall on the CBI’s request in connection with FIPB clearance granted to its subsidiary during the tenure of former Finance Minister P Chidambaram for the takeover of Aircel in 2006, officials said. Chidambaram and his son Karti are accused in the case along with officials in the Finance Ministry.
The agency has also requested the issuance of a summons to the Malaysian company Astro All Asia Network in connection with the case, which has also been cleared by the special court, they said. The CBI has sought three months from the court to serve the summons in Malaysia. CBI and ED filed a charge sheet on July 19, 2018, against Chidambaram and others. Another accused Maxis promoter, T Ananda Krishnan, passed away in November 2024.
The case pertains to FIPB clearance granted to Global Communication Services Holdings Limited, a 100 percent subsidiary of Maxis based in Mauritius, in 2006, when Chidambaram was the Union Finance Minister. Chidambaram’s son Karti was charged by CBI and ED for taking a bribe of Rs.1.13 crore for speeding up the files pending before his father. The company had moved the proposal to enhance its direct or indirect share of foreign shareholdings from 26 percent to 73.99 percent in the equity shares in Aircel Ltd for USD 800 million (Rs.3,560 crore). Global Communication went on to acquire 73.99 percent equity share in Aircel Limited and an economic interest of 99.3 percent in the company, the CBI has said.
The agency has alleged that Chidambaram and the accused officials of the FIPB had approved the proposal by showing the actual inflow of FDI in Indian rupees to be at Rs.180 crore, though the proposal was actually to the tune of Rs.3,560 crores (USD 800 million). It was done to keep the proposal under the competence of Chidambaram, as he, being the then finance minister, had powers to approve total investments of up to Rs.600 crore, the CBI has alleged. It said proposals beyond Rs.600 crore required the approval of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA).
The agency has alleged that Chidambaram and his son Karti P Chidambaram, now a Lok Sabha MP, received quid pro quo through companies linked to the latter — Chess Management Services Private Limited and Advantage Strategic Consulting Private Limited — from the associate companies of Maxis in the garb of providing electronic legal compliance management (eLCM) services and management consultancy during March 29, 2007 to January 27, 2012. A bribe of Rs.26 lakh and Rs.87 lakh was taken through the two companies, said CBI.
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