INX Media case: ED interrogates P Chidambaram at Tihar jail

The Enforcement Directorate questioned Congress leader P Chidambaram on Wednesday at the Delhi's Tihar jail in the INX Media case. The agency will now approach the court to seek his judicial custody.

The ED sleuths visited the Tihar jail early morning and quizzed him. A city court on Monday had allowed the ED to interrogate Chidambaram in the Tihar jail.

The 74-year-old senior lawyer and Congress leader has been in CBI custody for 55 days now; he was held on August 21.

The ED has filed a criminal case against Chidambaram under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Its probe pertains to the FIPB approval given to the INX Media group during Chidambaram's tenure as India's finance minister.

Karti Chidambaram, who met his father in Tihar on Wednesday, termed it "procedural games". "I came to meet my father. He is in good spirits. Whatever these procedural games are being played are for political theatrics. This is a bogus investigation," he said.

The CBI is also set to file a chargesheet in the INX Media corruption case and it is likely to name Chidambaram and his son Karti, PTI reported, citing sources.

The agency might also name senior government officials who were part of the decision-making process related to foreign investment clearance given to INX Media, promoted by Indrani Mukherjea and Peter Mukherjea, they said.

Indrani, who is facing charges of murdering her daughter in a separate case, had turned approver and is likely to be a prosecution witness in the CBI chargesheet in the corruption case.

The CBI had registered an FIR on May 15, 2017, alleging irregularities in the Foreign Investment Promotion Board clearance granted to the INX Media group for receiving overseas funds of Rs 305 crore in 2007 during Chidambaram's tenure as the finance minister.

With PTI inputs

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