Supreme Court Orders Release Of Rs.1 Crore Deposited By Lok Sabha MP Karti P Chidambaram As Pre-Condition For Foreign Travel

 The Supreme Court today ordered release of Rs.1 crore amount deposited by Lok Sabha MP Karti P Chidambaram with the Court's Secretary General as a pre-condition for foreign travel in 2022.

A bench of Justices Surya Kant, Ujjal Bhuyan and N Kotiswar Singh passed the order, noting that pursuant to the 2022 order, Chidambaram travelled abroad and deposited his passport with the Investigating Officer after coming back to India.

"Miscellaneous application is allowed and amount of Rs.1 crore deposited by him alongwith interest accrued thereupon is directed to be released in 1 week", ordered the bench.

The Court was dealing with a miscellaneous application filed by Karti P Chidambaram, son of Senior Advocate and former Union Minister P Chidambaram, in 2023 for refund of the amount deposited in compliance of the Court's 2022 order.

He had to seek permission of the top court to travel abroad as he was then out on bail in the Aircel-Maxis, INX Media cases and while granting the relief, the Court had restrained him from leaving country except with its permission.

In 2021 as well, the Court allowed Chidambaram's application to travel abroad on a condition of depositing Rs. 1 crore. Thereafter, a similar order was passed in 2022.

Appearance: Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal (for Chidambaram); ASG SV Raju (for ED)

Case Title: KARTI P. CHIDAMBARAM Versus THE DIRECTORATE OF ENFORCEMENT, DELHI, MA 820/2023 in T.C.(Crl.) No. 4/2018 

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