‘I am ready for CBI questioning’
NEWDELHI: Karti Chidambaram, son of senior Congress leader and former Union minister PC hidam bar am, under took to appear before the CBI headquarters for questioning in connection with an alleged corruption case.
Karti gave the undertaking before the Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice JS Khehar which fixed August 23 as the date for his appearance at the investigating agency’ s New Delhi office. The court allowed his lawyer to accompany him and be present in a room adjoining the place where K ar ti will be quizzed.
The court asked K art ito carry all necessary documents to defend himself against the allegations level led in the FIR registered on May 15 in connection with the irregularities in Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance to INX Media. CBI has questioned the manner in which the company received overseasfunds to thetuneof₹305 crore in 2007 when Karti’s father was the finance minister.
The bench gave the agency liberty to summon Kart ia sm any times it wanted. It, however, was of the opinion that once Karti appears the look out circular barring him from travelling abroad for a year should expire.
“You call him everyday till the time you want to. You arrest him if you have evidence. But, this LO Ch as to expire on a particular date. LOC is a restraint on his right to travel. It is issued if someone evades you. Once he questions your answers he can’t be held back,” the bench told additional solicitor general Tushar Mehta who opposed the court’s suggestion.
Mehta contended LOC was a “little softer remedy” CBI has taken against K ar ti. And this was without any prejudice to its right to enforce stringent measures available .“He needs to be in India until the probe in the case is over,” the ASG said.