The CBI is likely to confront all the six signatories on the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) file relating to alleged irregular clearance of FDI to the tune of Rs 300 crore by INX Media with former Finance Minister P Chidambaram who is currently undergoing custodial interrogation by CBI in the case.
The agency is also mulling whether to take Chidambaram to Mumbai to confront him with approver in the case Indrani Mukherjea or bring her here for confrontation with the former Finance Minister.
In view of the high profile nature and vast experience of Chidambaram as a lawyer, the investigators are grilling him under direct supervision of agency director RK Shukla, sources said.
Chidambaram has so far been denying the allegations during the questioning and has largely been evasive to the queries put forth by the agency sleuths, they said, adding, he is a tough nut to crack.
Meanwhile, the CBI is waiting responses to Letters Rogatory (judicial requests) sent to five countries---United Kingdom, Switzerland, Singapore, Mauritius and Bermuda.
Through the LRs, the agency has sought to establish the money trail of the alleged proceeds of crime through shell companies, banking transaction details and bank accounts.
The LRs are not only related to the INX Media case but to a number of other clearances by the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) during Chidambaram’s tenure as Finance Minister in the UPA regime.
Meanwhile, Karti along with his mother met Chidambaram at the agency headquarters as permitted by the designated CBI court on Thursday sending him to four-day CBI custody.
After the meeting, Karti told reporters that his father is in very good spirits and enquired about his daughter who is vacationing in Down Under (Australia).
Karti further said, (He (Chidambaram) is enjoying the hospitality of the Government of India.
On a question on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s assertion in France that corrupt should not be spared, Karti asserted even he believes that corrupt should be punished, adding neither he nor his father is corrupt.