NEW DELHI: Soon after a special court on Saturday granted anticipatory bail to Karti Chidambaram in the Aircel-Maxis cases, the son of former Union minister P Chidambaram made his Twitter followers know that he is back. "Vanakam, Hello, Hola, Howdy folks. I am back :), (sic)" he tweeted on Saturday.



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In a relief for Karti, a city court on Saturday granted him protection from arrest till April 16 in the Aircel-Maxis matter arising out of the 2G spectrum cases lodged by the CBI and Enforcement Directorate (ED). Special Judge OP Saini granted the relief to him considering that both the investigative agencies sought three weeks to file their responses on the anticipatory bail plea moved by Karti, son of former union minister P Chidambaram.


"Since three weeks' time is prayed for by the CBI, by submitting that during this period law shall prevail, apparently it means that as a matter of legal and judicial propriety, the applicant (Karti) shall not be arrested by the CBI during the pendency of the instant application. This is in consonance with the provisions of section 41A of the CrPC," the court said.


The court however said that Karti shall not leave the country without its permission and will have to appear before the investigating officer as and when directed to join the investigation.


Meanwhile, the counsel of Karti Chidambaram, Kapil Sibal argued that there was neither any allegation against Karti in the Aircel Maxis case nor there was anything to show that he knew the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) officials. He argued that Karti's name has not figured in any FIR in the case and he was only called by the CBI as a witness in 2014.


Karti had sought protection of arrest in the case in which the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the ED have lodged cases in 2011 and 2012 respectively. In the ED case, senior advocate Gopal Subramaniam, also appearing for Karti, argued that Karti has cooperated in the other matters as well and there was no question that he would flee the county or tamper with evidence.


Former Finance Minister P Chidambaram, also a senior advocate himself, was present in the court room along with his wife Nalini Chidambaram seeking relief for his son. Both were in advocate's attire. While senior Chidambaram wore black coat and trousers, Nalini was seen wearing an advocate's black robe.


Besides them, a battery of senior lawyers appeared in the court for Karti, including Sibal, Subramanium, Salman Khurshid, also a Congress leader, and Mohit Mathur to secure anticipatory bail for him.