Tag: Karti Chidambaram

  • INX Media case: HC judge recuses from hearing ED’s plea against order to provide documents to PC

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: A Delhi High Court judge Monday recused from hearing the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) plea challenging a trial court’s order directing it to provide various documents to former Union Minister P Chidambaram and his son Karti Chidambaram concerning the INX Media money laundering case.

    Justice Chandra Dhari Singh said, “I am not hearing this matter. I am transferring it.”

    The judge said the petition be listed before another bench on March 16.

    The ED, through advocate Amit Mahajan, has challenged the trial court’s January 25, 2020 order by which the agency was directed to provide a scanned copy of the list of all unrelied upon documents to prevent any further delay in the case.

    The trial court’s order was passed on two applications by Chidambaram and his son Karti seeking inspection of unrelied upon documents by the ED.

    In the same case, the Delhi High Court on November 10, 2021, had dismissed the CBI’s plea challenging the trial court’s order allowing inspection of documents by Chidambaram and his son in the INX Media corruption case.

    Chidambaram was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the INX Media corruption case on August 21, 2019. On October 16 that year, the ED arrested him in a related money-laundering case.

    Six days later, on October 22, 2019, the apex court had granted bail to Chidambaram in the case lodged by the CBI. In the ED case, he had got bail on December 4, 2019.

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

    Subsequently, the ED had lodged the money laundering case.

    The former Union Minister’s son Karti Chidambaram was arrested by CBI in February 2018 and he was granted bail in March 2018 in the INX Media corruption case.

  • INX Media: Delhi HC dismisses CBI challenge to order allowing Chidambaram to inspect documents

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday dismissed the CBI’s challenge to a trial court order allowing inspection of documents by Congress leader P Chidambaram, son Karti Chidambaram and other accused in the INX media case.

    The CBI had sought to set aside a special judge’s March 5 order that directed the agency to allow inspection of documents kept in the ‘malkhana’ (room where case properties are kept) by the accused or their counsel.

    “The petition is dismissed,” said Justice Mukta Gupta.

    The investigating agency had opposed the inspection of documents on the grounds that the probe in the INX media case, in which the Chidambarams are accused, is still ongoing, and that it may result in evidence tampering.

    In its plea before the high court, the CBI had submitted that the INX Media case involved high level of corruption with wide ramifications on society, and while the accused have a right to a fair trial, the collective interest of society could not be impinged.

    “A fair trial is not what the accused wants in the name of a fair trial but it must soothe the ultimate justice. Although right to fair trial of the respondents/accused was not infringed, since all documents relied upon by petitioner (CBI) were provided to the respondents/accused,” it had said.

    The agency contended that the very essence of trial is to unearth the truth for which the court cannot assist the accused in search of a plausible defence.

    The high court had on May 18 stayed trial proceedings in the case involving Chidambaram and his son.

    It had also issued notice and sought responses of Chidambaram and others on the CBI’s plea.

    The agency had registered its case on May 15, 2017, alleging irregularities in a Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance granted to INX Media group for receiving overseas funds of Rs 305 crore in 2007 during Chidambaram’s tenure as finance minister.

    Thereafter, the ED had lodged the money laundering case.

    The Chidambarams are on bail in the case.

  • Delhi HC extends stay on trial court proceedings in INX Media case

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court Monday extended the stay on trial court proceedings in CBI”s INX Media corruption case in which Congress leader P Chidambaram and his son Karti are accused.

    Justice Mukta Gupta, who was hearing CBI’s challenge to a trial court order allowing inspection of documents kept in ”Malkhana” (room keeping case properties) by the accused and their counsel, granted time to counsel for the investigating agency to go through to a Supreme Court decision on the issue.

    “Issue has been settled by the Supreme Court. Directions have been given to States to frame laws on deficiencies in criminal trial”, said the judge who posted the matter for hearing on August 27.

    “Interim order to continue”, the high court ordered.

    The high court had on May 18 stayed trial proceedings in the case involving Chidambaram and his son Karti.

    It had also issued notice and sought responses of Chidambaram and others on the CBI’s plea.

    The CBI has sought to set aside the special judge’s March 5, 2021 order to the extent that it directed CBI to allow inspection of documents kept in Malkhana by the respondents/accused/ their counsel.

    Besides, the CBI has also sought setting aside the observations in the order which says that the agency is required to file or produce before the court all the documents collected by it during investigation.

    The trial court had also said that the accused are entitled to copies of such documents or inspections thereof, irrespective of the fact whether they are being relied upon by the CBI or not.

    In its plea before the high court, the CBI had said that this case involved high level of corruption with wide ramifications on society and while the accused have a right to a fair trial, the collective interest of the society could not be impinged.

    “A fair trial is not what the accused wants in the name of a fair trial but must soothe the ultimate justice. Although right of fair trial of the respondents/accused was not infringed, since all documents relied upon by petitioner-CBI were provided to the respondents/accused…,” it said.

    The agency contended that the very essence of trial is to unearth the truth for which the court cannot assist the accused in search of a plausible defence.

    It has alleged that the trial court”s order reflected intrusion into the investigative process of the CBI which is impermissible in law and the special judge lost sight of the fact that further investigation in the present matter is underway and if the accused persons are allowed to inspect documents available at the malkhana, the same would subvert the probe and there is every likelihood that they may tamper with evidence available.

    Seeking to set aside the trial court”s order, the agency has said the legitimate aim would suffer irreparably if protection is not given to the documents and record which was permitted to be inspected by the accused.

    It has said out of 14 accused, only Karti had made the prayer to inspect Malkhana documents, however, the trial court erroneously allowed all the accused to inspect it and exceeded the judicial powers by giving relief which was not prayed for.

    The CBI had registered its case on May 15, 2017, alleging irregularities in a Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance granted to INX Media group for receiving overseas funds of Rs 305 crore in 2007 during Chidambaram”s tenure as finance minister.

    Thereafter, the ED had lodged the money laundering case.

    The Chidambarams are already on bail in the case.

    Chidambaram was taken into custody on August 21, 2019 when he was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in INX Media corruption case.

    On October 16, 2019, the ED arrested him in the separate money-laundering case.

    Six days later, on October 22, 2019, the apex court had granted him bail in the case lodged by the CBI.

    On December 4, 2019, after 105 days of custody, Chidambaram was granted bail by the Supreme Court in the money laundering case lodged by the ED. 

  • Hearing in INX media money laundering case adjourned till May 4

    By ANI
    NEW DELHI: A Special Court on Friday adjourned the hearing in the INX Media money laundering case against former Union Minister P Chidambaram, his son Karti Chidambaram and others, till May 4.

    The matter was adjourned as Special Judge M K Nagpal, who was hearing the matter before, was on leave today.

    P Chidambaram and Karti Chidambaram marked their presence virtually in the video-conferencing hearing today.

    Meanwhile, the court extended co-accused Peter Mukerjea’s interim bail in the matter till the final disposal of his regular bail plea.

    The same court had earlier issued summons to P. Chidambaram and others in the INX media case including several firms whose names were present in the charge sheet.

    Special Judge MK Nagpal while taking the cognisance on the ED Chargesheet said, “I find sufficient material and grounds for proceeding further in the matter against all the ten accused persons named in the complaint, out of which six accused are companies, for the commission of offense under Section 3 read with Section 70 of the PMLA, which is punishable under Section 4 of the said Act.”

    Accused P. Chidambaram and S. Bhaskararaman were arrested during the investigation of the case and both are presently out on bail.

    The Court also noted that the extensive arguments advanced by Amit Mahajan, Central Government standing counsel, and N. K. Matta, Special PP for Directorate of Enforcement have also carefully perused the entire record of the case.

    The Enforcement Directorate in June 2020 had filed a prosecution complaint (Chargesheet) in INX media money laundering case involving former Union Minister P Chidambaram and others in Rouse Avenue Court.

    The INX media Money laundering case involves former Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram with the allegation of irregularities in foreign exchange clearance given to INX media group for receiving overseas investments in 2007.

    Karti Chidambaram, son of P Chidambaram, currently a sitting Member of parliament, is also an accused in the matter. Besides Chidambaram, the charge sheet also names Karti’s chartered accountant S Bhaskararaman and others.

    Earlier, CBI had registered its case on May 15, 2017, alleging irregularities in a Foreign Investment Promotion Board clearance granted to INX Media group for receiving overseas funds of Rs 305 crore in 2007 during Chidambaram’s tenure as finance minister.

    Thereafter, ED had lodged a money laundering case. The case pertains to FIPB clearance given to INX Media to the tune of Rs 305 crore when P Chidambaram was the finance minister. The economic offenses watchdog had registered a PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act) case based on FIR by the CBI and alleged that irregularities took place in the FIPB clearance to INX Media.