INX Media case: More trouble for Karti Chidambaram as CBI moves Delhi court for his narco analysis test
More trouble for Karti Chidambaram, CBI moves court for his narco test
In fresh trouble for Karti Chidambaram, the CBI on Wednesday moved the Delhi court seeking permission to conduct narco analysis test on him in connection with the INX media case. The matter will be taken up on March 9.
The CBI move comes after the special court extended Karti’s CBI custody be three days on Tuesday.
During the yesterday’s hearing, the CBI told the court that Karti was not cooperating in the probe. In fact, the CBI said that Karti told them ‘go to hell’, when they asked him for his phone’s password.
The CBI through its counsel additional solicitor general Tushar Mehta accused Karti of non-cooperation and stated, "After seizing of mobile, if the accused says, "I will not give my password, you go to hell", this is also called non-cooperation."
The agency has also identified a senior journalist who introduced then INX media owner Indrani Mukerjea to P Chidambaram for Foreign Investment Promotion Board and also to question him. Sources said he works in a leading newspaper and for a brief period was associated with INX media but left after co founder of the organization Peter Mukerjea asked him to leave.
Karti also faced another setback when the Supreme Court refused to grant him interim protection from arrest by the Enforcement Directorate in an alleged money laundering case relating to the INX Media group.
The top court asked the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the CBI to file their responses on a fresh plea by Karti against the probe done in the money laundering case.
Extending Karti's custody, Judge Sunil Rana said it was "necessary" for the "purpose of further and complete investigation and interrogation of the accused.
The CBI had registered an FIR on May 15 last year against alleged irregularities in the FIPB clearance to INX Media for receiving overseas funds to the tune of Rs 305 crore in 2007 when Chidambaram was the Union finance minister. It is alleged that Karti had received funds to the tune of Rs 10 lakh in the case, they said.
The CBI alleged Karti also received money from INX media to scuttle a tax probe. The firm was owned at the time by Peter and Indrani Mukerjea, who are currently in jail on charges of murdering Indrani's daughter Sheena Bora.The Enforcement Directorate has also registered a money laundering case.