The Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday interrogated former Finance Minister P Chidambaram in the INX Media bribe case. Chidambaram was confronted with documents and statements of other accused and INX Media owners Peter and Indrani Mukherjea who allegedly paid Rs 5 crore to son Karti for the illegal post dated approval of FIPB clearance. ED have already attached Rs 55-crore worth properties of Karti and his firm Advantage Strategic Consulting in Delhi, Ooty, London and Spain.
Questions were posed to Chidambaram on why he entertained post clearance, when the INX Media was caught by Income Tax in 2007 for illegally bringing Rs 300 crore as FDI, while it was allowed to receive only Rs 5 crore. It was learned that Chidambaram put all blame on officers in FIPB and claimed that he only signed the files put forward to him. Chidambaram also claimed that he was not aware of Son's business activities and relation with Indrani, though he admitted that he admitted that Indrani and Peter met him in office when files were pending with him.
INX Media case was unearthed during the joint raid of ED and Income Tax in connection with Aircel-Maxis probe at Karti's offices and home in December 2015. In 2006, INX Media got only approval for five crore as foreign direct investment. But Income Tax in 2007 found that illegally they routed Rs 306 crore as FDI through Mauritius.