Nalini Chidambaram, the lawyer wife of former Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram, her son Karti Chidambaram and daughter-in-law Srinidhi Karti Chidambaram were directed by a Chennai court on Monday to appear before it without fail on August 20 in connection with the black money case filed against them by the Department of Income Tax.

Though the family members of the Congress strongman had been asked to present themselves before the court on Monday, they failed to do so which made Chief Metropolitan Magistrate S Malarvizhi issue an order asking them to be present in the court on August 20.

The case was filed by the Income Tax department because Karti Chidambaram failed to disclose details about his accounts with the Metro Bank in Britain and the investments he had made in Nano Holdings llC, USA.

Karti had also failed to disclose the investments made by Chess Global advisory, a company co-owned by him, which is an offence under the Black Money Act. According to the Department of Income Tax, Karti, Nalini and Srinidhi did not disclose the Rs 5.37 crore worth of properties they jointly own in Cambridge, Britain and the Rs 3.38 crore worth of properties in the USA.

The Income Tax Department initiated prosecution against them under Section 50 of the Black Money  and Imposition of Tax Act . The magistrate had summoned the family of Chidambaram under section 50 of the Act and  directed them to appear before the court on June 25. The Chidambaram family had appeared before the court on June 25 and sought exemption from personal appearance.