Karti went abroad, closed many accounts: CBI to SC

Karti Chidambaram (Express photo by Prem Nath Pandey)

Justifying its lookout circular against former Finance Minister P Chidambaram’s son Karti Chidambaram, who is facing charges of corruption, the CBI on Friday told the Supreme Court that Karti had gone abroad and closed many bank accounts before the agency issued the lookout circular.

“We issued a notice and asked him how many bank accounts he has. He said only one,” Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told a three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra.

“But what we found is that there are several accounts which he went abroad and closed — several accounts also where Great Britain pounds are transferred by him.” Mehta submitted that he wants the court to see the details, which were in a sealed cover.

The bench, also comprising Justices D Y Chandrachud and A M Khanwilkar, was hearing a petition filed by the CBI challenging a Madras High Court order. The High Court had put a stay on the lookout circular issued against Karti on June 15 this year in the case of alleged corruption in FIPB clearance to a media house.

The apex court has already stayed the HC order and revived the circular. Mehta revealed the details to the court when senior counsel Kapil Sibal, appearing for Karti, objected to his arguments, saying only the circular was under challenge for now in the apex court, indicating that the ASG should restrict his arguments to that.

“These are not connected to the FIR,” Sibal said when Mehta requested the bench to see the contents of the sealed cover. But the ASG countered this saying, “It directly deals with the FIR, with the lookout circular.”

To this, Sibal said, “How can he file documents like this? If I have done any wrong, file FIR against me and prosecute me…when it (allegations in the FIR) happened, I (Karti) was abroad.” This provoked Mehta, who said, “What he did when he was abroad is in these covers. Please see it.”

But Sibal denied, and said, “I (Karti) went to admit my daughter in Cambridge…. They interrogated me (Karti), but not a single question was asked on this. If they can show any signature of Karti on any account, they can prosecute him under FEMA or black money law.”

The court did not see the contents of the envelope and posted the matter for hearing next on October 4.

The case against Karti, according to an FIR lodged by CBI on May 15, relates to alleged irregularities in Foreign Investment Promotion Board clearance to INX Media for allegedly receiving overseas funds.