Chennai: A day after conducting raids at 14 premises across the country linked to Karti Chidambaram, CBI summoned four directors of Advantage Strategic Consulting Private Limited (ASCPL) and a charted accountant to Delhi for a detailed inquiry, sources said here.
The case is related to allegedly influencing officials in the Foreign investment Promotion Board to get clearance for foreign investments in INX Media by Karti when his father was finance minister in 2008.
According to sources, the CBI summoned Advantage Strategic Consulting directors - Ravi Viswanathan, Padma Viswanathan, Chinnabala Nageswara Reddy and Mohanan Rajesh along with a charted accountant named Bhaskar Raman, husband of Padma Viswanathan.
The premises belonging to the four directors were also raided by CBI investigators on Tuesday, sources said. "After conducting enquiry with his associates, CBI may summon Karti at a later date," sources said.
The CBI believes that Karti used his influence in the finance ministry in 2008 to help the INX Media to get required Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance after scuttling an I-T probe on foreign investment into the firm.
A case was registered against Karti, Peter and Indrani Mukherji, directors of INX Media, Chess Management services of Karti and Advantage Strategic Consulting, besides unknown officials of finance ministry.
In the FIR, CBI alleged that INX Media had allegedly given money to the companies owned directly or indirectly by Karti to influence public servants to get foreign investment clearance for their companies in 2007-08. On Tuesday, CBI raided Karti's residence at Pycrofts Road and his Chess Management Services office in Nungambakkam along with the office of ASCPL.
As per the FIR, Karti allegedly received kickbacks for helping INX Media at the FIPB. ASCPL was allegedly paid Rs 3.5 crore by the INX group, while the Chess Management services received a payment of Rs 10 lakh for the management consultancy service it offered to INX Media, it said.
"It is a lie. I have never held a discussion with INX. I have never interceded on behalf of anybody with the Government of India," Karti told reporters after the raid in Chennai on Tuesday.
