NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday questioned former finance minister P Chidambaram in the INX Media case, in which his son Karti is also an accused. According to the sources, this was for the first time when Chidambaram was questioned in the INX Media case.
He was asked to depose before the investigating officer (IO) of the case to record his statement under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in this case.
The senior Congress leader came along with his lawyer to the ED office in Jamnagar house at around 11.30 am and recorded his statement.
The ED had registered a PMLA case in this deal on the basis of a CBI FIR and had alleged that irregularities took place in the FIPB clearance to INX Media, a venture promoted by former media baron Peter Mukherjea and Indrani Mukerjea, for receiving overseas funds to the tune of Rs 305 crore in 2007 when P Chidambaram was the Union finance minister.
It had registered an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR), the ED’s equivalent of a police FIR, against the accused named in a CBI complaint, including his son Karti, INX Media and its directors Peter and Indrani Mukerjea.
Karti Chidambaram was arrested on February 28 by the CBI for allegedly taking money to facilitate the FIPB clearance to INX Media in 2007.
He was later granted bail. In October, the Enforcement Directorate attached assets worth Rs 54 crore of Karti Chidambaram in India, the UK and Spain including his property in Kodaikanal and Ooty in Tamil Nadu and a flat in New Delhi’s Jorbagh.
Though Karti had dismissed the action against him as “bizarre and outlandish”, he was arrested on February 28 by the CBI for allegedly taking money to facilitate the FIPB clearance to INX Media in 2007.
He was later granted bail.Last month, the Delhi High Court extended the interim protection from arrest to the veteran politician till January 15 next year.
According to the ED, the alleged irregularities took place in 2007 when Chidambaram was the Finance Minister under the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government.