NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate has registered a money laundering case against the son of former finance minister, P Chidambaram. Officials said the agency has registered an Enforcement Case Information Report, ED's equivalent of a police FIR, against Karti Chidambaram, INX media and its directors, Peter and Indrani Mukerjea.
The ECIR was registered under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. They said the ED will probe the alleged “proceeds of crime” generated in this case, and may also attach assets of the all those accused. The ED had provided information about the alleged illegal payments made by INX media, based on which, the CBI had filed its FIR. It had carried out searches at homes and offices of all those accused, including Karti's across four cities for allegedly receiving money from the media firm owned by the Mukerjeas.
The CBI had filed an FIR on charges of criminal conspiracy, cheating, receiving illegal gratification, influencing public servants, and criminal misconduct. It is also alleged that karti received money from INX for using his influence to manipulate a tax probe against it in a case of violation of Foreign Investment Promotion Board conditions to receive investment from Mauritius. Chidambaram Senior, had issued a strong statement in response to the raids, stating the government was using the CBI and other agencies to target his son. He said FIPB approval was granted in “hundreds of cases”.
