Madras High Court Dismisses Karti Chidambaram’s Plea for Speedy Defreezing of Salary Account

The Madras High Court has dismissed a writ petition filed by Congress MP Karti Chidambaram, refusing to direct the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) to expedite the disposal of his plea to defreeze his salary account. Justices S.M. Subramaniam and K. Surender ruled that issuing such directions would exert unnecessary pressure on the tribunal and disrupt the systematic handling of cases. The judges emphasized that all litigants must be treated equally and noted that Chidambaram had filed the writ just one day after submitting an interlocutory application to the NCLT, without allowing sufficient time for consideration. The underlying case involves the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) seeking disgorgement of assets worth ₹48 crore from Advantage Strategic Consulting Private Limited, linked to alleged fraud in Vasan Eye Care share transactions. Consequently, the NCLT had frozen Chidambaram’s accounts, including his parliamentary salary account, causing him financial hardship. While dismissing the petition, the court granted him liberty to present his grievances and urgency claims directly before the NCLT. The decision underscores judicial restraint in interfering with tribunal proceedings absent exceptional circumstances.