ED Questions Karti Chidambaram for 10 Hours On INX Media Dealings

File image of Karti P Chidambaram. 

(Photo: PTI)

Karti Chidambaram, son of senior Congress leader P Chidambaram, was on Thursday questioned by the ED officials for over 10 hours in a money laundering case related to alleged irregularities in a FIPB clearance accorded to INX Media in 2007.

A senior Enforcement Directorate official told IANS that Karti Chidamabaram was questioned for over 10 hours at the agency's headquarters about the INX media dealings, save 30 minutes in the day for having lunch.

After coming out, Karti Chidamabaram told reporters: "Whatever I have stated here has already been stated in all my petitions in the court."

The agency issued summons to him on January 16. The first summons was for January 11 when Karti Chidambaram's legal representatives appeared before the agency.

On Saturday, the agency conducted raids at properties of Karti Chidamabaram — one in Delhi and four in Chennai.

Speaking on the ED raids at his son’s residences, P Chidambaram, Senior Congress leader said:

There is no FIR concerning a scheduled crime by CBI or any agency. I anticipated they’ll search premises in Chennai again, but in a comedy of errors, they came to Jor Bagh (in Delhi) and officers told me that they thought Karti is an occupant of this house but he is not.

He further said that the ED found nothing upon searching the house, ultimately justifying themselves through a statement made by the government in the Parliament a few years ago.

The ED registered a money laundering case against him in May 2017.

Also named in a CBI FIR along with INX Media and its directors, Peter and Indrani Mukerjea – both accused in the murder case of Sheena Bora – and others, Karti Chidambaram is facing a probe for his alleged role in facilitating Foreign Investment Promotion Board clearance for INX Media Ltd when his father was the Union Finance Minister.

Karti Chidambaram is alleged to have received Rs 3.5 crore from Mumbai-based INX media, now 9X Media, for helping it get the FIPB clearance when it was run by the Mukerjeas.

(With inputs from IANS)