Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Feb 26: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday informed that it has placed before the Special Court the prosecution sanction order obtained against former Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram in connection with the Aircel-Maxis money laundering case.
According to the agency, the sanction for prosecution was received from the competent authority on February 10, 2026, and has now been submitted before the Special Court at Rouse Avenue to expedite trial proceedings.
The ED’s investigation stems from a case originally registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on October 9, 2011, relating to alleged irregularities in the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) approval granted to the Aircel-Maxis deal. The case involves offences under the Indian Penal Code and the Prevention of Corruption Act, with the ED subsequently initiating a probe under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The agency has alleged that in 2006, FIPB approval for foreign direct investment of about $800 million (Rs 3,565.91 crore) was granted to Maxis, though proposals of that scale required clearance from the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA). The ED claims that the approval was granted despite the then Finance Minister being authorised to clear proposals only up to Rs 600 crore.
The investigation further alleges that illegal gratification amounting to Rs 1.16 crore was received by Karti Chidambaram through companies Advantage Strategic Consulting Private Limited and Chess Management Services Private Limited. The ED has also cited financial transactions between P. Chidambaram and his son, alleging that funds from one of the companies were used for expenses on behalf of the former minister.
The alleged proceeds of crime of Rs 1.16 crore were provisionally attached and later confirmed by the adjudicating authority in March 2018. A prosecution complaint and subsequent supplementary complaint were filed before the Special PMLA Court in 2018, where Chidambaram was named as an accused. The Special Court took cognisance of the offence of money laundering in November 2021.
The ED’s latest move follows a November 6, 2024 judgment by the Supreme Court of India in the case of Enforcement Directorate vs Bibhu Prasad Acharya, which held that prior prosecution sanction under Section 197(1) of the Code of Criminal Procedure is required even for complaints filed under the PMLA against public servants.
In light of that ruling, the ED stated that it has sought and obtained the required sanction under Section 197 of the CrPC (now Section 218 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023) to ensure compliance with the Supreme Court’s direction and to prevent further delays in the trial.