Karti Chidambaram, son of senior Congress leader and former finance minister P Chidambaram, was questioned for about six hours by the Enforcement Directorate officials in New Delhi on Thursday. Karti, who arrived at the ED's Jamnagar office in central Delhi at 11.05 am, left at 6.40 pm. In between, Karti was allowed to go out for lunch. Sources said he was questioned under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
Reports said Karti was confronted with certain statements of the other accused and witnesses in the case. Officials reportedly said he might be called again for questioning. Meanwhile, Chidambaram has been asked to appear before the financial probe agency on Friday. It may be recalled that Karti was arrested on February 28, 2018 by the CBI for allegedly accepting money to facilitate the FIPB clearance to INX Media. He was later granted bail.
The ED had registered a PMLA case based on a CBI FIR and alleged that irregularities took place in the FIPB clearance to INX Media for receiving overseas funds to the tune of Rs 305 crore in 2007. According to ED, Karti received money from INX Media, using his influence to manipulate a tax probe against it in a case of violation of FIPB conditions to receive investments from Mauritius.
