CBI grills Karti for 8 hours in graft case
NEWDELHI: The CBI on Wednesday questioned Karti Chidambaram, son of former Union finance minister and senior Congress leader P Chidambaram, for around eight hours in connection with the INX Media deal. The agecy is probing allegations of irregularities in the government approval for sale of stakes in INX Media to offshore entities in 2007.
Sources said the CBI sleuths put around 100 questions to Karti. “He has been called for questioning again on August 28,” said a CBI spokesman.
Karti has been named as an accused in the FIR registered in connection with the case along with the then INX promoter Peter Mukerjea and his wife Indrani. The case pertains to foreign investments received by INX in 2007-08 following a clearance by the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB). P Chidambaram was Union finance minister then.
Following the registration of the FIR, the CBI had conducted searches at the home and offices of the Karti and the Mukherjeas.
When the FIR was registered in May, Chidambaram had alleged that the government was targeting his son to silence his voice.
Karti arrived at the agency headquarters on the directives of the Supreme Court.
During a hearing before the top court, Karti had argued that he was willing to appear before the CBI and was directed to appear before the agency on August 23.
A bench comprising Chief Justice JS Khehar and Justice DY Chandrachud allowed Karti to be accompanied by a lawyer at the CBI headquarters. Souces said the lawyer remained confined to a room adjoining the place where Karti was questioned.