Target me, why harass others: P Chidambaram on I-T raids at son’s firms
Chennai: Investigators of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Income Tax department along with sleuths from the directorate of revenue intelligence (DRI) on Tuesday raided the premises of business associates of Karti Chidambaram, son of former union minister P Chidambaram. The raids took place in connection with suspected black money transactions of Vasan Eye Care. More than a dozen premises, including an office of Advantage Strategic Consulting, the headquarters of Vasan Eye Care - both in Alwarpet, Chennai and the residences of Vasan's promoter Dr A.M. Arun in Chennai and Tiruchy - were raided according to ED sources.
The ED had been probing an alleged investment of Rs.100 crores of black money into the Vasan group. It is alleged that Advantage Strategic Consulting, which was once partly owned by Karti and Ausbridge Holdings and Investments Private Ltd, owned wholly by Karti, had reportedly received 1.5 lakh shares of Vasan Healthcare without a premium. Karti had a stake in Advantage till three years ago and it used to be located in the same building as Karti’s present office in Nungambakkam.
P. Chidambaram, in a statement, termed the raids as a “malicious onslaught” against his family by the government.
Read:
Karti Chidambaram raid: CBDT dismisses charges of vendetta
Enforcement Directorate and I-T department raids business associates of Karti Chidambaram
P. Chidambaram said: “If the government wishes to target me, they should do so directly, not harass friends of my son who carry on their own businesses and have nothing to do with politics,” he said.
The ED was interested in the dealings of the firm Advantage Strategic Consulting, which is believed to be linked to Karti. This firm’s name reportedly popped up when government agencies probed the infamous Aircel-Maxis deal and also in the funding pattern of Vasan Eye Care.
In the Aircel-Maxis case, ED had questioned former telecom minister Dayanidhi Maran and his brother Kalanithi in December 2014. According to CBI, Dayanidhi Maran had arm-twisted C. Sivasankaran, owner of Aircel, to sell his stake to the owner of a Malaysian company, Maxis, who in turn invested in Kalanithi Maran’s Sun Direct. Following the transaction by Sivasankaran, Maxis allegedly routed Rs 599 crore to Sun Direct.
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