Kingfisher MP Fled To UK: CBI Opposes Karti Chidambaram’s Plea To Relax Foreign Travel Restrictions

Karti Chidambaram

The Central Bureau of Investigation on Friday urged the Delhi High Court to maintain strict bail conditions for Congress MP Karti Chidambaram, opposing his request to relax restrictions on his foreign travel.

While arguing before Justice Ravinder Dudeja, CBI Special Counsel Anup S Sharma referenced the infamous case of fugitive businessman Vijay Mallya as a cautionary example.

Karti Chidambaram Maintains He Is Not a Flight Risk

Senior Advocate Siddharth Luthra, representing Karti Chidambaram, emphasized that the MP regularly attends parliamentary sessions and is not a risk to flee the country. “He is an MP, he is not going to be an MP of the UK. Even today, he is attending Parliament,” Luthra said in court.

CBI Draws Parallel With Mallya’s Escape

Without naming him directly, Sharma reminded the court of the former Kingfisher Airlines owner who once held a Member of Parliament position but later fled to the UK to avoid prosecution. “There was one more MP, from Kingfisher. He is today in the UK,” Sharma said.

Court Questions If One Fugitive Warrants General Restrictions

The bench challenged the agency’s approach, asking, “If one person has run away, do you think everybody will run away?” The court sought to understand whether a single instance should determine the travel conditions for all accused.

Sharma responded that due to certain concerns, the agency prefers Karti to seek court approval for each foreign trip.

Hearing Rescheduled To September

The court expedited the case, moving the hearing from October 16 to September 10, indicating the importance of the matter.

Background

The charges relate to alleged irregularities in the Foreign Investment Promotion Board’s (FIPB) approval of ₹305 crore in foreign funding to INX Media in 2007. The case was registered by the CBI on May 15, 2017, during the tenure of P Chidambaram—Karti’s father—as Union Finance Minister.

Karti Chidambaram secured bail in March 2018, with conditions that prohibit overseas travel without prior judicial permission.

Request For Easier Travel Conditions

Karti’s current plea argues that he frequently travels abroad with court approval and requests relaxation of the travel restrictions for specific countries including the UK, Spain, France, Italy, Germany, and the USA, which he visits regularly.

(Inputs By Sambhav Sharma)