Karti Chidambaram sent to CBI custody till March 6, says will be vindicated eventually

Karti Chidambaram being taken to Patiala House Court on Thursday. (Express photo by Tashi Tobgyal)

Karti Chidambaram, who was arrested on Wednesday from Chennai airport’s arrival lounge in connection with the INX Media case, said he would be vindicated eventually after he was sent to 5-day CBI custody by Delhi’s Patiala House Court on Thursday. He will be produced before the court again on March 6. During the hearing, the CBI, represented by Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, sought Karti’s custody for 14 days before the Sessions Court of Sunil Rana, citing lack of time for interrogation. 

“The whole purpose of Wednesday’s custody was defeated when, after Karti’s medical examination, doctors got him shifted to Cardiac Care Unit. It was surprising because Karti didn’t complain about anything. He was perfectly fine in morning but gave evasive answers when questioned,” CBI said.

ALSO READ: CBI quotes Indrani Mukerjea in INX Media case: P Chidambaram asked us to help his son Karti Chidambaram

ASG Mehta argued that the CBI had proof of Advantage Strategic Consultancy Private Limited receiving kickbacks for favours to INX Media. “There is clear evidence of links between Karti Chidambaram and various companies. We have emails and invoices indicating money was given to Advantage Strategic Consultancy Private Limited (ASCPL) in the time period when INX media received favours,” CBI said. The agency has maintained that Karti had indirect links with ASCPL, a fact vehemently denied by the Chidambarams.

Karti’s counsel Abhishek Manu Singhvi countered CBI’s demand for custodial interrogation by pointing out that the probe agency had not issued summons to his client yet. “There is no ground for custodial interrogation. How can CBI claim non-cooperation when they haven’t issued summons? All documents are in their possession,” Singhvi said.

The senior advocate and Congress member said it was P Chidambaram himself who had cleared the order for action against INX Media. Singhvi said a complaint was made to the I&B Ministry by a journalist to look into the alleged irregularities in INX Media. This was forwarded to the Finance Ministry, which was headed by P Chidambaram then. Singhvi said P Chidambaram asked the Ministry of Corporate Affairs to take action against INX Media and later the Serious Frauds Investigation Office took over the probe and gave indicting report on the group in 2013. “It is preposterous that P Chidambaram at one hand cleared to prosecute INX and on the other hand he asked to help his son’s business, as per statement of Mukerjea,” Singhvi said.

After the day’s proceedings were over, Karti was allowed to meet and interact with his parents, both of whom who were present at the court on Thursday. The court, meanwhile, has allowed Karti’s lawyer to meet him for an hour in the morning and evening during his custody. Medicines will be allowed only on prescription, but Karti won’t be allowed to have home-cooked food, the court said.

Meanwhile, the Patiala House Court reserved its order on the bail petition of Karti’s chartered accountant S Bhaskararaman, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on February 16. During the hearing on Thursday, the ED had opposed the bail petition of Bhaskararaman, who will now stay in prison till March 7.

P Chidambaram arrives at Patiala House court in New Delhi on Thursday. (Express photo by Tashi Tobgyal)

The ED had arrested Bhaskararaman while probing Karti in a case under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The ED had earlier claimed that during the course of the investigation, it was revealed that Bhaskararaman had been assisting Karti to manage his “ill-gotten wealth” in India and abroad.

During the hearing on Wednesday, CBI counsel V K Sharma had demanded a 15-day custody of Karti, who is the son of former finance minister P Chidambaram. However, the CBI was granted only a day’s time for questioning. The CBI argued that Karti had not cooperated in the investigation related to alleged irregularities in clearance from the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) to INX Media group for receiving overseas funds in 2007 when Chidambaram was Union finance minister.

“Karti Chidambaram had not cooperated with the investigation. He also denied that he or his company had any interaction with INX Media including FIPB related matter despite evidence to the contrary. Further, his frequent visits have confirmed apprehensions of his tampering with evidence lying abroad against him in the form of a secret note received from Ministry of Finance. Such has been shown in a sealed cover to the Supreme Court,” the CBI said in its remand application.

Opposing the CBI’s application, Singhvi, who appeared for Karti, said it was a “bizarre” case and no ground for arrest was made out. “The remand application is based on two premises — that the accused has not co-operated and he is repeatedly travelling abroad. Firstly, this is bizarre because the CBI has interrogated him for 22 hours on August 23, and August 28 last year. After that, he did not receive a single summon… and now the CBI has arrested him,” Singhvi said.

The CBI had also quoted a statement by then INX Media head Indrani Mukerjea where she had alleged that P Chidambaram, while he was Union Finance Minister, had asked her and her husband Peter Mukerjea to help his son’s business. It was on the ED’s reference that the CBI had registered a case against Karti and INX Media.

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