New Delhi: Exactly 10 days before the Narendra Modi government completes three years in power on May 26, the CBI conducted multiple raids on the premises of Karti Chidambaram, son of former finance minister P Chidambaram, in Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai and Gurugram.
The CBI raided the Chennai residence and other locations linked to Karti for allegedly receiving money from a media firm owned by Indrani and Peter Mukerjea to manipulate a tax probe against the firm in a case of violation of Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) conditions in getting investment from Mauri-tius.
A political slugfest erupted between the BJP and the Congress, which described the raids as a “systematic witch-hunt” against the Opposition by a “vindictive government”. The BJP said the raids should be marked as “the day of accountability for the corrupt”.
Finance minister Arun Jaitley defended the raids, saying “the day of reckoning has come for many... and they will be held accountable.”
Mr P. Chidambaram came out with a strong statement saying the government was using the CBI and other agencies to silence him by targeting his son Karti. The five secretaries who constitute the FIPB, officials of the FIPB secretariat and the competent authority in each case are public officials, he noted, adding there was no allegation against any of them.
CBI sleuths fanned out across 14 locations, including the Chidambarams’ properties in Chennai, Mumbai, Delhi and Gurugram. The CBI had filed an FIR against Karti Chidambaram and Indrani and Peter Mukerjea on Monday over charges of criminal conspiracy, cheating, receiving illegal gratification, influencing public servants and criminal misconduct.
CBI recovers vouchers worth Rs 10 lakh
The agency did not rule out investigating the alleged role of Mr Chidambaram. Later on Tuesday evening, speaking to reporters, CBI joint director (anti-corruption) Vineet Vinayak said: “Agency sleuths have recovered certain incriminating documents during searches which are being scrutinised.”
When asked about the possibility of the questioning of the former finance minister, he said: “We have set the process of investigation in motion with the FIR. All the issues relevant to this FIPB approval will be investigated. All the people whose involvement has come forth will be examined in due course.” He claimed that during the searches and raids at properties linked to the former finance minister and his son, the agency has seized computers, hard disks and incriminating documents.
The CBI claimed to have recovered vouchers worth Rs10 lakh issued in favour of Advantage Strategic Consulting Pvt Ltd, a firm “indirectly” owned by Karti. The CBI joint director also said it has recovered invoices worth Rs3.05 crores. He maintained the documents seized from the INX Media premises “show that '10 lakh was given to Advantage Straetgic Consulting”. It was further alleged that invoices of approximately Rs 3.5 crores were raised in favour of the INX group in the name of other companies in which Karti had “direct” or “indirect” interests.
The agency had on Monday registered an FIR against Karti, his company Chess Management Services, the Mukerjeas, INX Media, Advantage Strategic Consulting Services and its director Padma Vishwanathan.
CBI sources said that during the UPA government INX Media had sought investments from Mauritius. The FIPB and the finance ministry, however, allowed investment of not more than Rs4.62 crores. It was alleged that by using political influence, INX Media violated the FIPB terms and received investment to the tune of Rs305 crores.
In February, BJP Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy had alleged Mr Chidambaram’s family and his son Karti had huge assets, including several overseas bank accounts in more than 14 countries. Mr Swamy had alleged the former finance minister’s family had jointly purchased a property and a big house in Cambridge, England.
