Karti case: CBI plans to question Indrani
Indrani is currently facing trial in Mumbai in connection with the murder of her daughter Sheena Bora and is lodged in a prison there.
New Delhi: The CBI has decided to seek a Mumbai court’s permission for examining jailed INX Media director Indrani Mukerjea over alleged manipulation of a tax probe against the media group that also involves Karti Chidambaram, son of former finance minister P. Chidamabaram.
Karti Chidambaram is accused of getting kickbacks through a company “indirectly controlled” by him, allegedly to scuttle a probe by the revenue department against INX Media, then controlled by Indrani and her husband Peter Mukerjea.
The CBI alleged that INX Media had got permission to receive Rs 4.62 crore investment from the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) but got Rs 305 crore from two companies based in Mauritius.
Indrani is currently facing trial in Mumbai in connection with the murder of her daughter Sheena Bora and is lodged in a prison there.
CBI sources said, “Ms Mukerjea’s examination is crucial in connection with the FIPB clearance given to the media group for receiving funds from Mauritius.” The probe agency registered the case against Karti Chidambaram on May 15. His company Chess Management Services, INX Media, Advantage Strategic Consulting Services, its director Padma Vishwanathan and the Mukerjeas were also booked.
The Supreme Court on Monday asked Karti Chidambaram to appear before the CBI in connection with the case.
The apex court stayed the Madras high court order allowing Karti Chidambaram to go abroad on August 16. The high court had on August 10 stayed a “look out circulars” issued against him and four others by the Centre over the corruption case filed by the CBI.
The INX Media, sources said, stated in its records that an amount of '10 lakh was given to Advantage Strategic Consulting Services, a firm “indirectly” owned by Karti Chidambaram, for management consultancy charges towards an FIPB notification and clarification.
The CBI alleged that Karti Chidambaram received money from INX Media for using his influence to manipulate a tax probe against it in the FIPB violation case.