New Delhi: Enforcement Directorate Thursday alleged in a Delhi court that former Union minister P Chidambaram and his son Karti "withheld information" from it and the CBI about certain foreign bank accounts during the probe in Aircel-Maxis cases.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and senior advocate Sonia Mathur, appearing for the ED, told the court that the probe agency has also come across the fact that Advantage Strategic Consulting Pvt Ltd, Singapore, was "beneficially owned" by the Chidambarams and received funds from a company whose name allegedly figured in the Panama Papers.
The company, from which Advantage Strategic Consulting Pvt Ltd, Singapore received funds, is registered in British Virgin Island, the law officer alleged. Taking into account the submissions of the agency, Special Judge O P Saini granted time till August 1 to ED to complete probe into the foreign bank accounts.
The court then took note of the submissions of senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for the father-son duo, and extended their interim protection against arrest.
The top Congress leaders and senior lawyers initially opposed the ED's plea for an adjournment alleging that the agency has been repeatedly seeking deferment of the proceedings.