ED filed charge sheet against Chidambaram in Aircel-Maxis money laundering case

New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate on Thursday filed charge sheet against former Union minister P Chidambaram in the Aircel-Maxis money laundering case.

The charge sheet, filed at Delhi's Patiala House court, lists a total of 9 accused including Chidambaram, S Bhaskaraman and four Maxis companies.

The court has fixed November 26 for consideration of the charge sheet. 

Earlier this month, on October 8, the Delhi court had extended interim protection for P Chidambaram as well as his son Karti till November 1.

The agency is probing how P Chidambaram, who was the Union finance minister in



2006, granted a Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) approval to a foreign firm, when only the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) was empowered to do it.

It had also alleged that Chidambaram had granted an FIPB approval in March 2006 to Mauritius-based Global Communication Services Holdings Ltd, a subsidiary of Maxis.

The senior Congress leader's role has come under the scanner of investigating agencies in the Rs 3,500-crore Aircel-Maxis deal and the INX Media case involving Rs 305 crore.

However, both P Chidambaram and his son, Karti, have denied the allegations levelled against them by the CBI and the ED.