INX Media case: Enforcement Directorate files chargesheet against Chidambaram, Karti

In a fresh trouble for former finance minister and senior Congress leader P Chidambaram, the Enforcement Directorate on Tuesday (June 2) filed chargesheet against him in INX Media money laundering case case. The case is about alleged irregularities in granting FIPB clearance worth Rs 305 crore to INX Media when Chidambaram was the union finance minister.

ED filed a e-chargesheet in the court of CBI special Judge Ajay Kumar Kuhar who has instructed the agency to file a hard copy of the chargesheet once the court starts its functioning as normal. Apart from P Chidambaram,  his son karti Chadambaram , CA bhaskaraman and others have been made accused in the chargesheet.

ED has been investigating financial irregularities after registering a case under Prevention of Money Laundering Act. The central agency started investigation on the basis of the FIR registered by CBI alleging that there were irregularities in the FIPB clearance granted to INX media.

It may be recalled that Chidambaram was arrested on October 16, 2019 and he is currently on bail in the money laundering case.

The ED and CBI are probing how Karti managed to obtain clearance to the tune of Rs 305 crore from the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) in 2007 when his father was the finance minister.

The ED had registered a PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act) case based on FIR by the CBI 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 when Chidambaram was the finance minister. Both the investigating agencies are also probing how Chidambaram's son Karti managed to obtain the FIPB clearance.

Karti Chidambaram was arrested on February 28, 2018 but was later release on bail. The ED probe so far showed that for the FIPB approval, INX Media directors Peter and Indrani Mukerjea met Chidambaram so that there was no delay in their application.