How Chidambaram family helped Peter Mukerjea avoid punitive action
The bureau has slapped charges of criminal conspiracy, cheating, taking gratification in order by illegal means and to influence government officials against the Chidambarams'.
The Central Bureau of Investigations (CBI) has booked senior Congress leader and former Finance Minister P Chidambaram's son Kartik Chidambaram, his firm Chess Management Services Private Limited for helping Peter and Indrani Mukerjea firms get Foreign Investment Promotion Board clearances (FIPB). The bureau has slapped charges of criminal conspiracy, cheating, taking gratification in order by illegal means and to influence government officials against them.
Another firm Advantage Strategic Consultants Pvt Limited (ASCPL) allegedly connected with Karti has also been named in the FIR in which unknown officials of finance ministry have also been booked.
CBI Joint Director Vineet Vinayak told the media that the Mukerjeas' invested in 26 per cent of INX media without FIPB approval and also got indirect investments from foreign investors to the tune of Rs 305 crore against approved sum of Rs 4.62 crores.
INX media, in order to wriggle out of the situation without any punitive action, entered into a criminal conspiracy with Karti Chidambaram, son of the then Finance Minister P Chidambaram, to get the issues solved amicably by influencing the public servants of FIPB in the finance ministry.
Sources say, the irregularities committed by the two firms of the Mukerjeas' were overlooked by the FIPB once they hired Karti's firm. "In their endeavour to show undue favours to INX media, the officials of FIPB now also ignored request from Department of Revenue to investigate the matter," the CBI said in the FIR. It further said, "For the services rendered by Karti's firm, consideration in the form of payments were received by ASCPL, a firm indirectly controlled by Karti Chidambaram."
CBI official said that invoices to the tune of Rs 3.5 crore were also raised in favour of INEX group in the name of other companies in which Karti Chidambaram had direct or indirect interests. "The investigation was in its initial stage and that a decision to summon or question Kartik will be taken at an appropriate time," he added.
The agency raided at 14 places in Chennai, Mumbai and Gurgaon in connection with this case today including homes of the former finance minister and his son. This drew sharp reaction from the Congress party.
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