India: Case Against P Chidambaram Built On Indrani Mukerjea’s Statement: Sources

• Police arrested former Indian finance minister P Chidambaram late on 21 Aug 19 in relation to alleged corruption and money laundering, a day after the Delhi High Court rejected his application to seek exemption from arrest.
• Chidambaram was arrested by federal police on a warrant issued by a competent court, a spokesman for the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) said.
• Officials have also alleged Chidambaram was involved in money laundering and conspired around the approval of a telecommunications deal in 2006. Chidambaram denied any wrongdoing, speaking at a news conference hours before his arrest.
• The case against Chidambaram and his son Karti has been built on the statement of Indrani Mukerjea, the wife of former media baron Peter Mukerjea, sources have told NDTV.
• The two used to head INX Media – the television company for which Mr Chidambaram had allegedly facilitated a huge transfusion of foreign funds during his tenure as the finance minister in the UPA government. His son Karti Chidambaram had received kickbacks for the deal, investigators have said.
• Indrani Mukerjea – currently in jail for allegedly murdering her daughter Sheena Bora – has turned approver in the case.
• Sources have confirmed to NDTV that Indrani Mukerjea told the Enforcement Directorate that Mr Chidambaram instructed them to help Karti Chidambaram in his businesses in exchange for the approval for foreign investment to INX Media.
• She also told the agency that the names of two firms — ‘Chess Management’ and ‘Advantage Strategic’ — were discussed as possible conduits for payments to Karti Chidambaram in return for regularizing alleged irregularities in foreign investment to INX media, sources said.
• In 2017, the Central Bureau of Investigation or CBI filed an FIR alleging that there were irregularities in the Foreign Investment Promotion Board or FIPB clearance granted to INX Media for receiving Rupees 305 crore from abroad in 2007. The Enforcement Directorate also registered a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act or PMLA.

External Link : https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/india-s-ex-finance-minister-chidambaram-arrested-in-dramatic-11829794

External Link : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/case-against-p-chidambaram-built-on-indrani-mukerjeas-statement-sources-2088567