Indrani Mukerjea is being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate in a money-laundering case
Indrani Mukerjea, jailed for her daughter Sheena Bora's murder, will be questioned over two days by the Enforcement Directorate,
which is investigating a money-laundering case against her and others including Karti Chidambaram.
Officials have permission to take Indrani's statement at Mumbai's Byculla jail on two days - today and on December 6. They had earlier applied to take the 47-year-old in their custody but it would not be possible because of almost daily hearings in the Sheena Bora case.
Peter Mukerjea and Indrani "allegedly siphoned off 90 million pounds and this money is suspected to have gone to overseas countries through the unauthorised route of hawala," the Enforcement Directorate petitioned the court.
The Enforcement Directorate's investigation revolves around INX Media, the company that Indrani and Peter Mukherjea set up in 2006. The Mukerjeas had sought permission to receive foreign investment from three non-resident investors.
The directorate alleges that INX hid that they had already received the permitted limit of investment and then applied for more.
The Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) had allowed INX Media to receive Foreign Direct Investment of Rs 46.2 million, but it received around Rs 3,053.6 million between August 2007 and May 2008, said the directorate.
"Thus excess foreign exchange equivalent to Rs 3004.4 million beyond the disclosed and permitted foreign investment was received by INX media from three Mauritius-based foreign investors," the agency said.
Investigators suspect that the illicit funds generated by Peter and Indrani Mukerjea were siphoned off to overseas destinations and routed back in the UK and India.
Rabin, Peter Mukerjea's son from an earlier marriage, was found to be handling funds of Peter and Indrani Mukerjea held in the form of bonds in New Zealand, said the directorate.
"Rabin... Peter and Indrani have laundered money and are involved in financial transactions in UK connected with illicit funds generated in India," the application said.
The CBI has alleged that businessman Karti Chidambaram, the son of former Finance Minister P Chidambaram, received money from INX Media for using his influence to manipulate a tax probe against the company for the alleged violation of foreign investment rules.
Mr Chidambaram has alleged that the government is using the CBI and other agencies to target his son.
The Enforcement Directorate said it had also taken note of suspicion that the murder of Sheena Bora, Indrani Mukerjea's daughter from earlier relationship, was motivated by financial reasons.
The Mukerjeas were arrested after Sheena Bora's murder was revealed in August 2015. Remains of the 24-year-old's body were found in jungles near Mumbai after the Mukerjeas' driver Shyamvar Rai, arrested in another case, spilled the beans.
For three years, Indrani had told friends and relatives that the missing Sheena - whom she introduced to everyone as her sister - had moved to the US.