Karti Chidambaram seeks more time from CBI

New Delhi: Karti Chidambaram, the son of former finance minister P. Chidambaram, has sought more time from the CBI for appearing before the investigative agency for questioning in connection with its case pertaining to the alleged manipulation of a tax probe against media group INX Media in a FIPB clearance case.

Sources in the CBI said the agency issued notices to Karti Chidambaram and his four other associates to appear for questioning between June 27 and June 29, but they failed to turn up.

Karti Chidambaram, through his lawyer, has informed the investigating team that he needs more time before he can appear for questioning, they added. The agency wanted to examine him in connection with a Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance given to a media group, INX Media, for receiving funds from Mauritius when his father was the finance minister.

It is alleged that a firm “indirectly controlled” by him received money from INX Media, run by Indrani and Peter Mukerjea. The CBI had registered the case on May 15 against Karti Chidambaram, his company Chess Management Services, INX Media, Advantage Strategic Consulting Services, its director Padma Vishwanathan and the Mukerjeas.

The CBI said INX Media stated in its records that Rs 10 lakh was given to Advantage Strategic Consulting (P) Limited, a firm the CBI said was “indirectly” owned by Karti Chidambaram, for management consultancy charges towards an FIPB notification and clarification. The CBI’s FIR also alleged that invoices of approximately Rs 3.5 crore were raised in favour of INX Media in the name of other companies, in which Karti Chidambaram had substantial interests “directly or indirectly”.