The Enforcement Directorate on Thursday, 25 October, filed a charge sheet in the Aircel-Maxis case in Delhi’s Patiala House Court, naming former Finance Minister P Chidambaram, along with nine others in the case. The court will take up the charge sheet for consideration on 26 November.
The ED, in their charge sheet, have said they have enough evidence to prove a money laundering case.
“Evidence are in the form of emails, communication retrieved from the seized digital devices from Karti P Chidambaram and his associates. Routing of proceed of crime (bribe money) in the guise of bonafide business deals in the company of Karti Chidambaram. Both Karti and P Chidambaram have links to these companies.”ED in its charge sheet
The first charge sheet in the case had been filed by the ED on 13 June, and had named Karti Chidambaram and others.
INTERIM PROTECTION FROM ARREST IN INX MEDIA CASE EXTENDED
The Delhi High Court had earlier extended former Union Finance Minister Chidambaram’s interim relief from arrest till 29 November in the INX media money laundering case.
The court had earlier done so on 28 September, when it was hearing Chidambaram anticipatory bail petition, which pleads for protection from arrest from Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the case.
SERIES OF EXTENSIONS
Chidambaram has been granted a series of extensions by the Delhi High Court with regard to interim relief from arrest in the case. On 31 May, Chidambaram was granted protection from arrest till 3 July. On 3 July, his interim protection was further extended to 1 August, and on that date it was extended to 28 September.
GRILLED FOR FOUR HOURS BY CBI
Chidambaram was grilled by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on 6 June for over four hours in connection with the case.
The agency has alleged irregularities in the clearance of foreign investment in INX media, a venture promoted by former media baron Peter Mukerjea and his wife Indrani, both probed by the CBI in connection with the murder of their daughter Sheena Bora, sources said.
Chidambaram had then said he had appeared before the CBI and the FIR did not contain any allegations against him. "Questions and answers were based on the files of FIPB. Hence, there was little to add to the record," the Congress leader said on Twitter.
THE LOWDOWN ON THE INX MEDIA CASE
Chidambaram's alleged role has come under the scanner of investigating agencies in connection with the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance of Rs 305 crore given to INX media.
The CBI had registered an FIR on 15 May 2017 for alleged irregularities in the FIPB clearance to INX Media for receiving overseas funds to the tune of Rs 305 crore in 2007 when Chidambaram was the finance minister during the UPA-I government.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)