'Karti closed his bank accounts when abroad'

The CBI on Friday told the Supreme Court that Karti Chidambaram, son of former Union minister P Chidambaram, was prevented from travelling overseas as he closed several of his bank accounts when he was abroad.

The investigating agency claimed before a three-judge bench presided over by Chief Justice Dipak Misra to be in possession of “shocking details” about his foreign visits.

Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta claimed that the financial investigation unit (FIU) had got “contemporaneous material” to justify a lookout circular issued against Karti on June 16.

This followed a FIR lodged on May 15 for irregularities in the foreign investment promotion board (FIPB) clearance to INX Media for receiving overseas funds to the tune of Rs 305 crore in 2007 when his father was the Union finance minister.

The law officer tried to show the bench, also comprising Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud, sealed envelops containing the details collected by the CBI.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing Karti, strongly objected to this.

“Why did you not ask a single question about those accounts when he appeared before you? You file a FIR and prosecute me for black money. This is no way to prejudice the court,” the council said.

Sibal said the lookout circular was issued even before Karti could respond to a notice under Section 41A of the Criminal Procedure Code, showing mala fide. Instead of dealing with the circular, the CBI was now trying to bring out irrelevant material, he said.

“Why are you so afraid of? You are anxious because you know what it contains,” Mehta said, showing the sealed envelope.

The court put the matter for detailed hearing on October 4.

Mehta also informed that the CBI had filed a special leave petition challenging the Madras High Court order which said it had territorial jurisdiction to deal with a petition filed by Karti for quashing of the case but a forum for convenience for raising the issue was the Delhi High Court since the FIR was filed at the Patiala House Courts here.

Earlier, the court had stayed the Madras High Court order that suspended a lookout circular issued against Karti and others.