New Delhi
The CBI on Monday informed a special court that it has obtained sanction from the Centre to prosecute former Union Minister P Chidambaram in the Aircel-Maxis case in which his son, Karti, is co-accused.

There are 18 accused in the case. Besides Chidambaram, sanction is required for prosecution of five public servants Ashok Kumar Jha, former Union Secretary Economic Affairs Ashok Chawla, then Additional Secretary; two serving IAS officers Kumar Sanjay Krishna, Joint Secretary, and Deepak Kumar Singh, Director; and Ram Sharan, Under Secretary.

The court granted three-week time to the agency to get sanction against them. However, CBI Court Special Judge OP Saini extended the protection from arrest to Chidambaram and his son Karti till December 18, the next date of hearing.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta submitted on behalf of the CBI that “the competent authority in the Central Government has accorded sanction for prosecution of accused P Chidambaram under section 197 of the CrPC and section 19 of the Prevention of Corruption Act”.

“Sanction for prosecution in respect of remaining accused public servants is still awaited,” he said, seeking two more weeks to get the nod.

The CBI said the court’s refusal to grant more time to obtain the sanction for other accused “in a matter pertaining to such serious offences may frustrate the cause of justice”.

It further said: “In view of the facts and circumstances… the prosecution sanction received from the competent authority in the Central Government in respect of accused P Chidambaram may kindly be taken on record and a further time may be given to file sanction for prosecution in respect of remaining accused public servants.”

On behalf of the Enforcement Directorate in a related money laundering case, Mehta orally told the court that the accused “misled the agency and made false statement. He suppressed information about the bank accounts in other countries and the money received from various sources”.