Overview
- The two-member tribunal of Rajesh Malhotra and Balesh Kumar delivered its final order on October 29, 2025, dismissing Karti P. Chidambaram’s appeal.
- The order held that the ED’s prosecution complaint filed on June 1, 2020, remained within time because the period from March 15, 2020 to February 28, 2022 was excluded under pandemic orders.
- The tribunal rejected reliance on S. Kasi v. State, noting that the ruling concerns default bail and personal liberty rather than continuation of property attachments.
- Attachments to continue include a 50% share in a Jor Bagh property and multiple Chennai bank accounts, with earlier ED figures noting assets initially attached in 2018 valued around ₹22.28 crore.
- While interim protection on possession ends with the appeal’s disposal, the tribunal said possession may be taken only for exceptional reasons, aligning with Supreme Court guidance.