Karti Chidambaram puts up unruffled front, posts emoji at ED for summoning his father in aviation scam case

Shortly after the Enforcement Directorate summoned Congress leader and former Finance Minister P Chidambaram in connection with the AirBuss aviation case, his son and Sivaganga MP Karti Chidambaram took to Twitter and questioned the economic intelligence agency. Taking to Twitter on Monday, Karti Chidambaram tagged ED's social media handle and asked, "what next?" with a smile text emoji. 

READ | ED Summons P Chidambaram In Connection With Aviation Scam Case, Appearance Scheduled On August 23

P Chidambaram summoned by ED

Amid the crackdown on UPA-era corruption, the Enforcement Directorate on Monday summoned P Chidambaram on August 23 in connection its money-laundering probe in an aviation case. The case entails to the losses that Air India suffered due to an alleged multi-crore aviation scam and irregularities in fixing air slots for international airlines during the UPA dispensation. In connection with the case, former Aviation Minister in the UPA regime and Chidambaram's close friend from the Congress party, Praful Patel was previously grilled by the ED. 

Aviation probe

Earlier, Praful Patel was quizzed by the ED on matters relating to granting air traffic rights to foreign carriers, and over the purchase of 111 aircraft for Air India during his tenure which purportedly led to losses for the national carrier. He appeared before the ED two months ago. In the charge sheet filed by the ED in the case, aviation lobbyist Deepak Talwar has also been named for alleged links with Praful Patel. 

Other probes against Chidambarams

In another incident, P Chidambaram is also being probed by ED in two separate money-laundering cases including Aircel-Maxis and INX Media. In the Aircel-Maxis case, Chidambaram's son Karti is also being probed by the ED. It was in May when a special CBI court extended the interim protection till August 1 from arrest granted to P Chidambaram and his son Karti in the Aircel-Maxis case. Later on August 9, a Delhi court extended the interim protection from arrest granted to both the Congress leaders in the case filed by the CBI and the ED till August 23.

The Chidambarams have 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. 

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(With PTI inputs)