Karti Chidambaram arrested in INX Media case

Karti Chidambaram, son of former union minister, P Chidambaram has been arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation. He was arrested in connection with the INX Media case.

The arrest was carried out when he stepped out of the British Airways flight this morning. The CBI has accused him of violating the Foreign Exchange Managament Act.

This case relates to the approval given by the Foreign Investment Promotion Board for receipt of funds to INX Media, which had happened while his father P Chidambaram was Union Finance Minister.

The Central Bureau of Investigation had issued a Look out Circular against Karti which was then challenged in the Supreme Court. The court had asked the Madras High Court to decide on the same. Recently the Madras High Court had permitted Karti to travel abroad.

Earlier this month, Karti had been directed by the Enforcement Directorate to appear before it. The agency had earlier summoned Karti on February 2 after which he informed them that he would be unable to depose as he has an interlocutory application pending in the Supreme Court in this case.

He was earlier grilled by the agency in this case on January 18. Talking to reporters, Karti had said that he told the investigators what he had earlier "clearly stated in his petitions in the court" (in the case).
The former Union minister's son was referring to his moving of various courts, including the Madras High Court and the Supreme Court, in response to the ED's action against him.

The central probe agency had registered the case against him and others in May last year. It had registered an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR), the ED's equivalent of a police FIR, against the accused named in a CBI complaint, including Karti Chidambaram, INX Media and its directors -- Peter and Indrani Mukerjea.

The ECIR was lodged under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The sources said the ED was probing the alleged "proceeds of crime" generated in this case.

OneIndia News