New Delhi: Karti Chidambaram, the son of senior Congress leader and former finance minister P. Chidambaram, appeared before the Enforcement Directorate after the agency summoned him in connection with an ongoing investigation into a money laundering case related to INX Media.
Though in the past Karti’s representatives had met the investigating officers, the agency had asked him to appear in person.
The ED had lodged a Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR), which is equivalent of a police FIR, against Karti and others in May last year.
These included INX Media and its directors — Peter and Indrani Mukerjea.
The ED had registered the case under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) as it is investigating alleged “proceeds of crime” in this case.
It was on the basis of information given by the ED regarding some alleged payments made by INX Media to Karti that the CBI also registered an FIR.
Karti and his family have, however, denied these allegations.
During the course of its investigations, the CBI had raided residence and offices of Karti in different cities. The CBI had filed the case against Karti and others on charges of criminal conspiracy, cheating, receiving illegal gratification, influencing public servants and criminal misconduct.
It is alleged that Karti was paid money by INX Media to help in a case of tax violation related to the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) for receiving investments from Mauritius. The CBI also claimed that during the investigations, it came across some vouchers worth '10 lakh which were allegedly paid for the services and were issued in favour of a company, Advantage Strategic Consulting (P) Limited, which is “indirectly” owned by Karti. Last week, the ED had also carried out searches at premises of Karti and others in another case of alleged money laundering in the Aircel-Maxis deal.
Karti is alleged to have received Rs 3.5 crore from Mumbai-based INX media. It is alleged that the payments were made in 2007 during the time that P Chidambaram was the Finance Minister
Following CBI raids in May last year P Chidamabaram in a statement had claimed that the government was using the CBI and other agencies to target his son. He had claimed that FIPB approval was granted in ''hundreds of cases.’’
