New Delhi, June 5: Former Finance Minister and senior Congress leader  P Chidambaram has got an interim relief in Aircel-Maxis money laundering case. According to the latest development, the Delhi Court has given P. Chidambaram protection from arrest by Enforcement Directorate till July 10.

The Enforcement Directorate is likely to record his statement under sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The ED has sought time for filing a detailed reply in the case and the  Court has fixed the matter for further hearing on July 10, the same date on which hearing against Karti Chidambaram in Aircel-Maxis case is scheduled.

It must be noted that Chidambaram's role has come under the scanner in the Rs 3,500 crore Aircel-Maxis deal in which the ED has already questioned his son, Karti.

According to a PTI report, the former finance minister, also the ex-home minister, had last week approached the court of Special Judge O P Saini seeking relief from arrest by the ED in this case. The court had directed the ED not to take any coercive action or arrest him till June 5 in connection with the case.

To recall, the Aircel-Maxis case pertains to grant of Foreign Investment Promotion Board clearance to firm M/S Global Communication Holding Services Ltd in 2006 for investment in Aircel. The ED had said that the FIPB approval in the case was granted by Chidambaram in March 2006 even though he was competent to accord approval on project proposals only up to Rs 600 crore and beyond that, it required the approval of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA).

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 05, 2018 10:19 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).