Karti Chidambaram moves HC against 'look out circular'

Karti contended that July 18 circular had been issued without jurisdiction by Foreigner Regional Registration Officer and Bureau of Immigration under home ministry.
Former Union Minister P Chidambaram's son, Karti Chidambaram (File photo by EPS )
Former Union Minister P Chidambaram's son, Karti Chidambaram (File photo by EPS )

CHENNAI: One more case, this time a ‘look out circular’ (LOC), allegedly issued to all the airports in the country to detain Karti Chidambaram (45), son of former Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram, has prompted Karti to approach the Madras High Court, challenging it.

As the Additional Solicitor General G Rajagopalan himself was not sure about the LOC against Karti, he told Justice M Duraiswsamy that he would ascertain from the Ministry and sought time. The judge adjourned the matter till August 7.

LOCs are issued under section 10B of the Passport Act at the behest of different agencies to monitor the arrival and departure of foreigners and Indians or to restrict their movement.
According to Karti, Ravi Viswanathan, one of the directors of Advantage Strategic Consultancy Private Limited and his daughter and mother-in-law were scheduled to travel to Singapore on July 23. Though the other two were granted boarding passes and they boarded the flight, Ravi was stopped at the last minute. After a couple of hours, he was told that he could not leave the country, but was free to return home.

When Ravi asked for the written order, he was curtly told to approach the authorities concerned or move the court. Finally, he was escorted out of the airport.

He filed a writ petition and following a directive from the judge, the Immigration counsel on August 1 produced a memo dated July 28, issued by the Foreigner Regional Registration Office (FRRO), in which it was stated that Ravi’s name found a place in the LOC issued on July 18 last.

Though only Ravi’s name was mentioned in the memo dated July 28, Karti said he had reasons to believe that an LOC would have been issued in his name also as his name was mentioned in the related FIR.

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