CBI moves court for narco test on Karti
NEWDELHI: The CBI moved a court in New Delhi on Wednesday seeking permission to conduct narco analysis test on businessman Karti Chidambaram in connection with its probe in the INX Media case.
Special judge Sunil Rana said the court would take the matter on March 9 along with two other applications seeking production warrants of Karti Chidambaram’s chartered accountant S Bhaskaraman, arrested in the money laundering case, and co-accused Indrani Mukerjea.
Karti was sent to the CBI custody for three more days on Tuesday, with the court saying the extension of his remand was necessary to maintain continuity in the investigation to secure evidence to arrive at the truth.
The 46-year-old Karti is accused of using his influence in the finance ministry — at a time when his father was the minister — to help INX Media get approval for foreign investments from three Mauritius-based investors. Karti was arrested on February 28 at the Chennai airport on his return from the United Kingdom in connection with the FIR lodged on May 15 last year. The FIR alleged that INX Media reportedly received approval from the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) for ~4.62 crore investment but received ~305 crore by sale of shares at a premium of ~800 per share instead of ~10 as mentioned by the company in its application.
“The Supreme Court has held an accused cannot be subjected to narco test without his or her consent. And it doesn’t have any evidentiary value as well,” said lawyer Karan Singh.