Aircel-Maxis case: Delhi HC grants time to P Chidambaram, son to reply to ED plea against anticipatory bail

The Delhi High Court Wednesday granted time to former finance minister P Chidambaram and his son Karti to respond to the Enforcement Directorate’s plea challenging their anticipatory bail in the Aircel-Maxis case. Justice Anu Malhotra allowed the oral prayer of Chidambarams’ counsel seeking more time to file the reply to ED’s plea. The court directed the Chidambarams, represented through senior advocate Dayan Krishnan and lawyer Arshdeep Singh, to file their reply within three weeks and asked the ED to place on record its rejoinder, if any, two weeks thereafter.

The court listed the matter for further hearing on May 12. Central government standing counsel Amit Mahajan and advocate Mallika Hiremath, representing the ED, submitted that the court had issued notice to Chidambaram and his son on October 11 last year to file response to the agency’s plea, however, they have not yet done so. The ED had earlier contended that the special judge pronounced its order granting anticipatory bail to the Chidambarams on September 5, 2019 without considering the Supreme Court’s order which had come on the same day in the INX Media case.