Karti Chidambaram was accused of taking a Rs 10-lakh bribe during the clearance to INX Media
Karti Chidambaram, son of senior Congress leader P Chidambaram
was arrested at Chennai airport today by the Central Bureau of Investigation in a money laundering case. He was accused of taking a Rs 10-lakh bribe during the clearance to INX Media for receiving foreign investment of over Rs. 300 crore in 2007 when his father P Chidambaram was the union finance minister. The CBI had earlier carried out searches at the houses and offices of Mr Chidambaram across four cities (which four cities mention atleast New Delhi and Chennai) for allegedly receiving money from the media firm owned by Peter and Indrani Mukerjea to scuttle a tax probe. Mr Chidambaram is being brought to Delhi. He will shortly be questioned at the Patiala House Court.
Here are the Highlights of Karti Chidambaram's arrest:
CBI had sought a 15 day custody of Karti Chidambaram for interrogation.
In its remand application filed in the court, the CBI claimed that sustained interrogation of Karti Chidambaram was needed to unearth the "total conspiracy" hatched in the case and also to find out the details of overseas payments allegedly received by him from INX Media as a "quid pro quo".
"Thus, Karti Chidambaram needs to be subjected to sustained interrogation for unearthing the total conspiracy hatched in the case and also to find out the details of overseas payments received by him from INX Media as a quid pro quo for influence exercised by him over the public servants to scuttle the punitive action required to be taken against M/S INX Media (P) Ltd for the illegal acts of receiving excess investment than the approved FDI and also for making of downstream investment without the FIPB approval. For this purpose, his police custody remand for a period of 15 days is considered essential," the CBI said in the court.
The duty magistrate remanded him to one-day CBI custody and asked the agency to produce Karti before the concerned judge tomorrow: news agency PTI
Delhi's Patiala House Court sends Karti Chidambaram to 1 day police custody: News agency ANI.
"The arrest of the son of the senior Congress leader, who has been very vocal against the Narendra Modi government, is a ploy to intimidate and browbeat the opposition and also an attempt to divert the public attention from the huge banking scam," senior Congress leader and former Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan told PTI.
"Karti was arrested for violating the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA). To the best of my knowledge, FEMA is a civilian offence, not a criminal one," he said.
Abhishek Singhvi tells in court that he is a "Hindustan returner".
Randeep Surjewala on the arrest:
Abhishek Singhvi tells ANI Karti Chidambaram has no connection with the Advantage Strategic Consulting (P) Limited.
Randeep Surjewala says the arrest was out of the blue.
Randeep Surjewala says the arrest is just to deflect heat from Nirav Modi scam.
Abhishek Singhvi says he is not a 'Hindustan Leaver': news agency ANI.
Abhishek Manu Singhvi tells Court that it is most bizarre case against Karti Chidambaram by CBI. The arrest is motivated. He hasn't been given a single summon in last 6 months & allegations made by CBI that he is not cooperating, when no summon has been issued after August 2017: news agency ANI.
CBI says "Karti Chidambaram is evasive in his replies and investigation. He made incorrect statements with respect to evidence. All this delays the conclusion of investigation": news agency ANI.
Delhi court to hear bail plea of Karti Chidambaram's chartered accountant S Bhaskararaman tomorrow.
CBI seeks 15 -day remand of Karti Chidambaram for custodial interrogation: news agency PTI.
Karti Chidambaram, 46, was produced before Metropolitan Magistrate Sumeet Anand who allowed the request of his lawyers to have an interaction with him inside the court room. The court allowed Karti Chidambaram and his lawyers to interact for 10 minutes, after which the proceedings resumed: news agency PTI.
CBI tells court Karti Chidambaram is not co-operating in the investigation: news agency PTI.
"This is
vendetta. I will be vindicated," Karti Chidambaram tells NDTV on his arrest.
Karti Chidambaram brought to CBI court in Delhi.
Karti Chidambaram's chartered accountant S Bhaskararaman files bail plea in INX media case.
AICC general secretary Ashok Gehlot said Karti Chidambaram was arrested to divert attention from the big issues and the bank scam facing the NDA government.
Mr Gehlot said on Twitter, Mr Karti Chidambaram was arrested when he landed at Chennai airport, he was not trying to escape from India like Nirav Modi then arresting him on his arrival at airport is funny. Karti Chidambaram was cooperating with the CBI, the CBI could have summoned him."
Party spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi on the arrest:
- Karti Chidambaram's arrest showed the government's "double standards".
- While Nirav Modi and Vijay Mallya were not stopped from fleeing the country, Karti Chidambaram was arrested even when he returned from a foreign tour, he told news agency PTI.
- He also questioned the timing of the arrest, asking if it had anything to do with the Karnataka elections and whether it was aimed at deflecting attention from the Nirav Modi fraud case.
- The nation, he added, was questioning the Centre on "Chhota Modi".
- "Fantastic double standards. Amazing selectivity. Nirav; Lalit and Mallya not stopped from fleeing; Karti arrested on arrival, returning after repeated foreign trips. Few lakhs become 80 crore in few months in Jai Ho case no raid no arrest, instead gag order. 10 lakh allegation and arrest!" he said on Twitter.
- "FIR recently filed in PC case. Allegations exist in public domain for over one year with many appearances for questioning; how can sudden custodial interrogation be justified. If no flight risk, no tampering, available for questioning, how and why arrest? Karnataka elections?" he added.
Senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal also termed the arrest "malafide" and said it was done to harass P Chidambaram. He challenged the agencies to produce evidence against Karti Chidambaram. "They are always misusing the law," he said.
"This is complete vendetta politics, this is completely malafide," he said.
Congress leader and Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi to appear for Karti Chidambaram in Delhi's Patiala House Court: news agency ANI
Karti Chidambaram being taken to Delhi's Patiala House Court, he was taken into custody by CBI, earlier today, in connection with the INX media case.
Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Karti Chidambaram's arrest:
- All these matter should not be seen in political context
- The agencies which are probing these matters are working without any bias and preconceived notions
The CBI alleged Karti also received money from INX media to scuttle a tax probe. The firm was owned at the time by Peter and Indrani Mukerjea, who are currently in jail on charges of murdering Indrani's daughter Sheena Bora.
P Chidambaram's Son Karti Chidambaram Arrested By CBI In Money Laundering CaseSenior Congress leader P Chidambaram's son Karti Chidambaram was arrested in Chennai today in a corruption case, sources said. He is accused of receiving kickbacks to clear foreign investment worth around Rs. 300 crore in television company INX Media, using the influence of his father, who was then the Union finance minister.
Karti Chidambaram was flown from Chennai airport by a Jet Airways flight at 10.45 am.
"Truth must win and prevail. The constitution stands for 'Satyamev Jayate," said BJP's Sambit Patra.
Randeep Sujrewala on Karti Chidambaram's arrest this morning.
A sick diversionary tactic by the Modi government to hide their own corruption scams.
The Congress said the arrest was "vindictive politics" and a "classic diversionary tactic of the government to hide their own corrupt governance model that is being exposed on a daily basis-- be it Nirav Modi, Mehul Choksi, Dwarka Das Seth Jewellers."
The 46-year-old is accused of receiving kickbacks to clear foreign investment worth around Rs. 300 crore in television company INX Media, using the influence of his father, who was then the Union finance minister. The initial case registered against him mentioned that he received 10 lakh, but sources in the CBI said there is now evidence that he received more.
Karti Chidambaram was arrested at the Chennai airport after he landed there from London early this morning. Mr Chidambaram who underwent questioning by the Central; Bureau of Investigation, will be brough to Delhi later today, according to sources.