Enforcement Directorate Summons Karti Chidambaram In INX Media PMLA Case

The ED has summoned Karti Chidambaram, son of senior Congress leader P Chidambaram, for questioning in connection with its money laundering probe in the INX media case.

Official sources said Karti has been called to New Delhi on Jan. 11. The investigating officer of the case will record his statement in the case, they said. The central probe agency had registered a case against Karti Chidambaram and others in May this year.

It had registered an Enforcement Case Information Report, Enforcement Directorate's equivalent of a police FIR, against the accused named in the CBI complaint, including Karti Chidambaram, INX media and its directors, Peter and Indrani Mukerjea.

The ECIR was registered under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. The sources said that the ED will probe the alleged "proceeds of crime" generated in this case.

A senior journalist, who was earlier associated with INX media, has also been summoned by the agency to record his statement as a witness in the case.

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It is the ED which had provided information about the alleged illegal payments made by INX media, based on which the CBI had filed its FIR.

The CBI had also carried out searches at the homes and offices of Karti Chidambaram across four cities for allegedly receiving money from the media firm owned by the Mukerjeas to scuttle a tax probe. The Chidambarams had denied all the charges made against them.

The CBI had filed an FIR against Karti Chidambaram and the Mukerjeas on charges of criminal conspiracy, cheating, receiving illegal gratification, influencing public servants and criminal misconduct.

It is alleged that Karti Chidambaram received money from INX Media for using his influence to manipulate a tax probe against it in a case of violation of Foreign Investment Promotion Board conditions to receive investment from Mauritius.

The CBI had also recovered vouchers of Rs 10 lakh which were allegedly paid for the services.

Also Read: ED Attaches Rs 1.16 Crore Assets, Firm Allegedly Linked To Karti Chidambaram

These vouchers were issued in favour of Advantage Strategic Consulting (P) Limited, a firm "indirectly" owned by Karti Chidambaram, the CBI had alleged.

Former finance minister P Chidambaram, after the CBI searches on May 16, had issued a strong statement in response to the raids, saying the government was using the CBI and other agencies to target his son.

FIPB approval was granted in "hundreds of cases", the senior Congress leader had said.

The CBI FIR was made out against Karti Chidambaram, his company Chess Management Services, the Mukerjeas (currently in jail on charges of murder of their daughter Sheena Bora), INX Media, Advantage Strategic Consulting Services and its director Padma Vishwanathan.