P Chidambaram behind INX bribery case, says BJP

New Delhi: Training its guns on former finance minister P. Chidambaram over the INX Media bribery case, the BJP on Thursday said the senior Congress leader himself facilitated and orchestrated the corruption for which his son Karti was arrested by the CBI on Wednesday.

“This is a serious act of economic corruption and financial misdemeanour, and the former finance minister is directly in the line of fire with the deposition of Indrani Muker-jea (co-accused and co-owner of INX media). This is an open and shut case of political corruption,” said BJP spokesperson G.V.L. Narasimha Rao, dismissing Congress allegation that the case is an example of political vendetta.

On Thursday, a court sent Karti Chidambaram to CBI custody till March 6. The court rejected his plea for home-cooked food but allowed him to keep his gold chains on.

The 46-year-old businessman is accused of getting government clearance for foreign investment worth around Rs 305 crore in the INX Media television company in exchange for bribes when his father was the Union finance minister.

Mr BJP leader claimed that the facts of the case show that private gains were made by INX media and Karti Chidambaram and his company as government process was subverted to help them.

Karti Chidambaram was arrested by the CBI at Chennai Airport on his return from the United Kingdom in connection with the FIR lodged on May 15 last year alleging irregularities in the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance to INX Media. The FIR says that he received Rs 3 crore in bribes in 2007 when his father was the Union finance minister.