CBI arrests Karti, says he is not co-operating

CBI seeks 15-day remand of Karti, gets one-day custody

Karti Chidambaram, arrested in connection with the INX Media case, was on Wednesday sent to one-day CBI custody by a Delhi court after the agency claimed his custodial interrogation was needed to unearth the conspiracy over alleged payment of USD one million bribe to him by the media company through foreign entities.

The fresh evidence in the case, which triggered the arrest of Karti, son of senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram, was based on the statement of Indrani Mukerjea, former Director of INX Media (P) Ltd, who recorded it under section 164 of CrPC before a magistrate on February 17. In the statement under this section, which is like a confessional statement before a judicial magistrate, Indrani has stated that she and her husband Peter Mukerjea had acceded to Karti’s demand of one million dollars for allegedly fixing the violations done in the FIPB clearance.

Karti, 46, who was arrested on Wednesday morning at Chennai airport soon after he returned from the United Kingdom, was brought to Delhi and produced before a duty magistrate. The CBI sought his custodial interrogation for 15 days claiming that he was not cooperating but got a day’s custody only.

New Delhi, Feb. 28: Senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram appeared to have a premonition of the arrest of his son Karti when he filed a petition recently in the Supreme Court apprehending “continued harassment” to him and his family members.

Karti was arrested by the CBI on Wednesday on his arrival from London, even before Chidambaram’s petition could be listed for hearing by the top court.

Chidambaram, who has been closely monitoring the case of his son in the Supreme Court which is argued by his party colleague and senior advocate Kapil Sibal, had sprung a surprise last week by filing a petition on his own accusing the CBI and the ED of carrying out a political vendetta against him and his family. In his petition, Chidambaram has sought the apex court's direction prohibiting the CBI and Enforcement Directorate from continuing their “illegal investigations” and from acting in any manner “causing repeated harassment” to him and his family members, including his son.

However, the CBI swung into action by arresting Karti even before the petition was heard by the top court.

Meanwhile, Karti on Wednesday signed the arrest memo by writing on it that all allegations against him were aimed to target his father P Chidambaram, during whose tenure as Union finance minister, FIPB clearance was granted to INX media.

“This whole exercise is to politically target my father,” Karti wrote on the arrest memo before signing it.

The memo of arrest was placed before duty magistrate Sumeet Anand, before whom Karti was produced.

While the CBI has alleged that Karti had received funds of `10 lakh in the INX media case, the ED has also registered a money laundering case.