Skip to main content

INX Media case: CBI detains Karti Chidambaram for manipulating tax probe

INX Media allegedly violated norms by making a downstream investment of 26% in INX News 
without FIPB approval

Karti Chidambaram


Former finance minister P Chidambaram's son and businessman Karti Chidambaram was detained by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in Chennai on Wednesday in connection with the INX money laundering case. It was alleged that he violated the Foreign Exchange Management Act.

Chidambaram was detained at Chennai Airport while he was returning from a foreign trip, according to his public relations officer. A few weeks ago, Karti's chartered accountant S Bhaskararaman had been arrested from a hotel in Delhi.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had earlier claimed that during the course of investigation, it was revealed that Bhaskararaman had been assisting Karti Chidambaram to manage his "ill-gotten wealth" in India and abroad.

The case relates to the approval granted by Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) in 2007 for receipt of funds by INX Media during P Chidambaram's tenure as the Union finance minister.

CBI alleged Karti Chidambaram received money from INX Media for using his influence to manipulate a tax probe against the firm for violating FEMA by receiving investments from Mauritius.
CBI also seized vouchers of Rs 1 million (Rs 10 lakh) allegedly paid for the services.
The central probe agency had registered the case against Karti Chidambaram and others in May last year.

Last week, Karti Chidambaram moved the Supreme Court (SC) seeking a stay on ED summons against him in the INX Media case. However, the apex court did not grant a stay.

He was also questioned by the ED, which had summoned him on February 2. Karti had, however, said he would be unable to depose as he had an interlocutory application pending in the SC, say reports.

ED had alleged that INX Media violated norms by making a downstream investment of 26 per cent in INX News Private Limited's capital without specific approval of FIPB. These included indirect investment by foreign investors, besides generating Rs 3 billion (Rs 305 crore) foreign direct investment in INX Media against the approved foreign inflow of Rs 46 million (Rs 4.62 crore).

To wriggle out of the situation without any punitive action, INX Media entered into a criminal conspiracy with Karti Chidambaram, the ED said.

The FIPB unit of the finance ministry had not only granted illegal approval but also misinformed the investigation wing of Income Tax Department, ED added.

Click here: INX Media case 





Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Best Unconventional Workout and Sporting Activities for Summer

In summers, depending upon conditions and circumstances one can incorporate both outdoor  and indoor activities in their training schedule.   Summer is the season of holidays, picnics, outings and beaches. With travel and binge eating proper workout becomes that much more essential in summers. But with heat and the sun outdoors, an individual has to balance his indoor and outdoor activities to get a fulfilling workout. In summers, depending upon conditions and circumstances one can incorporate both outdoor and indoor activities in their training schedule. Mentioned below are some of the best physical and sporting activities that one can use as a workout to stay fit in the summer season. Beach Sports - If in summers one is going to spend much time on beaches or at a beach destination then one may use beach sporting activities such as beach rugby, beach soccer, beach tennis and beach volleyball to stay fit. All of these sporting activities on sand provide a ...

Mi Notebook Ultra review: Xiaomi energises the boring consumer PC segment

  The Mi Notebook Ultra challenges the conventions set by the legacy consumer PC makers by democratising features and specifications usually seen in laptops that cost almost twice as much I was planning to buy a midrange laptop and was amazed to see that every other legacy brand in the consumer PC market had products with similar features and specifications. Blame the oligopoly, but as a consumer I was almost convinced that the product offerings by the legacy PC makers were the best available in the market. And then was released the Mi Notebook Ultra by Chinese technology company Xiaomi. A premium laptop, the  Mi Notebook Ultra  challenged the conventions set by legacy consumer PC makers by democratising features and specifications usually seen in laptops that cost almost twice as much as the top-end model (review unit – Rs 76,999) on offer here. Starting with the design, the Mi Notebook Ultra boasts a unibody made of series 6 ...

Back in TV studio after release from jail, Arnab dares Maharashtra CM

  Goswami also singled out Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh for his ‘illegal’ arrest on November 4 in a 2018 suicide abetment case Back in the familiar environs of the TV newsroom after a week in judicial custody, journalist Arnab Goswami on Wednesday hit out at Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray for arresting him in a ‘fake’ case. “Uddhav Thackeray, listen to me. You lost. You have been defeated,” said Goswami (47), while being surrounded by visibly relieved colleagues from his Republic TV channel. Soon after his release from Taloja jail near Mumbai around 8.30 pm, Goswami drove to the Lower Parel studio of the channel, of which he is the Editor-in-Chief.  Arnab Goswami  also singled out Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh for his ‘illegal’ arrest on November 4 in a 2018 suicide abetment case. Goswami said that while in Taloja jail since November 8, he was subjected to three rounds of police interrogation. “Uddhav Thackeray, you arrested me in a...