Misinformation on Karti “Deliberately Fed” to Media: Chidambaram

In an official statement, Chidambaram claimed that his son was never a director or shareholder of ASCPL.

On Monday, Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram said it was "preposterous" to suggest that any member of his family could influence six secretaries of the central government who were part of the FIPB.

Strongly refuting allegations that his son Karti had influenced the decisions of the now-defunct Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) when he was the finance minister, Chidambaram said it was a "despicable slur" on the six secretaries of the government.

The CBI last fortnight had filed an FIR against Karti and INX Media founders Indrani and Peter Mukerjea, on charges of criminal conspiracy, cheating, receiving illegal gratification, influencing public servants and criminal misconduct.

In an official statement Chidambaram claimed that his son was never a director or the shareholder of ASCPL.

I can say with absolute certainty that Karti Chidambaram had never met any officer connected with the FIPB. Besides, he had no connection with the applicant company (INX Media/INX News). Further, Karti Chidambaram was never a director or shareholder of M/s Advantage Strategic Consulting Pvt Ltd. The promoters/directors of ASCPL have, on more than one occasion, made it clear that ASCPL is their company and they alone are responsible for the business of that company. 

The CBI claims that Karti received money from INX Media, through a company "indirectly controlled by him", for using his influence to manipulate a tax probe against it in a case of violation of FIPB conditions to receive investment from Mauritius.

‘Preposterous to Suggest Karti Influenced My Decisions’

The former finance minister said any one familiar with the working of the FIPB knows that no single officer could take a decision on any proposal, and it was a collective decision of six secretaries.

“Any one who has worked with me knows that no one would dare to influence my decisions. I had never allowed any family member to speak to me or to any officer of my ministry on any official matter. It is therefore preposterous to suggest that a member of my family, with or without my knowledge, influenced, by corrupt or illegal means,” he said in the statement.

"Such an allegation is a despicable slur on the six secretaries of the government who constituted the FIPB at the relevant time," he said.

The former finance minister said as far as FIPB cases were concerned, he had approved only those cases that were recommended by the FIPB, and put up to him by the secretary, economic affairs.

‘FIR Doesn’t Name a Single Public Official’

The Congress leader said the subject matter of the FIR was an approval granted by the FIPB, and it was clear that he was the target, yet the FIR did not name him.

In fact, I have obtained a copy of the FIR from the social media. The origin of these leaks is Chennai, in my home state of Tamil Nadu. The FIR alleges that there was a conspiracy involving public officials, who were induced by corrupt and illegal means to grant the approval, yet the FIR does not name a single public official.

Chidambaram said in the last two weeks, leaks and insinuations have been "deliberately fed" to a section of the media, and "maliciously circulated" in the social media. He said he made the statement to expose the misinformation that is emanating from Chennai.

(With inputs from PTI)