The CBI had filed a complaint against Karti Chidambaram, INX Media directors, Peter and Indrani Mukerjea.
New Delhi:
Karti Chidambaram, son of senior Congress leader P Chidambaram, was questioned for about 11 hours by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with a money laundering case on Thursday. He reported at the ED office in Delhi at 11.30 am and after he left around 10.30 pm, he decided to catch up with his friends over dinner in the upscale Khan Market.
The central probe agency had registered a case against Mr Chidambaram and others in May last year. While his representative had met the investigating officer in the case, the agency officials had wanted to meet him.
Mr Chidamabaram told reporters, "Whatever I have stated here has already been stated in all my petitions in the court."
The ED has filed a report against the accused named in a CBI complaint, including Karti Chidambaram, INX Media and its directors, Peter and Indrani Mukerjea, who are currently in jail on charges of murder of Indrani's daughter Sheena Bora.
The agency is probing the alleged "proceeds of crime" generated in this case.
It was the ED which had provided information about the alleged illegal payments made by INX Media, based on which the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had filed its FIR. The agency has alleged that Karti Chidambaram received money from INX Media for using his influence to manipulate a tax probe against it in a case of violation of Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) conditions to receive investment from Mauritius.
The CBI also recovered vouchers of Rs 10 lakh which were allegedly paid for the services. These vouchers were issued in favour of Advantage Strategic Consulting (P) Limited, a firm "indirectly" owned by Mr Karti, the CBI had alleged.
The Chidambarams have denied all the charges. Former Finance Minister P Chidambaram, after the CBI searches on May 16, called the action "political vendetta" and said the government was using the CBI and other agencies to target his son.
Last week, the ED had also searched the premises of Karti Chidambaram and those associated with him in a separate money laundering case related to the Aircel-Maxis deal.