INX Media case: Karti Chidambaram to challenge ED in SC; top developments

Karti Chidambaram has been in the CBI custody since his arrest on February 28 in connection with the alleged INX Media kickback case

The Supreme Court will on Tuesday hear a fresh plea of Karti Chidambaram, businessman and son of former Union finance minister P Chidambaram, who has sought the quashing of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) summons in the INX Media kickback case.

The top court had earlier refused to stay the summons issued by the ED saying he could make a request to the competent authority.

Karti Chidambaram has been in the custody of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) since his arrest on February 28. On March 1, a special CBI court of judge Sunil Rana remanded him to five days in CBI custody .

According to a report in the Times of India, ED has found that Karti Chidambaram transferred Rs 18 million into the bank accounts of an influential political figure. The name of the leader, however, has not been revealed.

As the judicial custody of Karti nears its end, the CBI has intensified its investigation in the case. Karti was taken to Mumbai's Byculla prison on Sunday to be confronted in the presence of former INX Media director Indrani Mukerjea. 

Mukerjea, who is lodged in the jail in connection with the murder of her daughter Sheena Bora, has claimed that bribe was paid to Karti Chidambaram for getting the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) to clear INX Media’s plans to get foreign direct investment in spite of irregularities.

Lawyer and Congress party member Abhishek Manu Singhvi, who is appearing for Karti Chidambaram, earlier attacked CBI for relying on the statement of controversial INX media founders Peter and Indrani Mukerjea, the latter in jail as an accused in the murder of her daughter Sheena Bora.

Here are the top 10 developments around Karti Chidambaram's arrest and the INX Media money-laundering case:

1. Karti moves Supreme Court: Karti Chidambaram has moved Supreme Court seeking quashing of summons issued by the Enforcement Directorate.

Supreme Court will hear the plea on Tuesday. 

In his plea, Karti has challenged the summons on the ground that the ED has no jurisdiction to issue such notices based on the FIR lodged by the CBI.

2. Karti calls charges 'politically motivated': Karti Chidambaram on Sunday rebuffed the allegation levied on him in the INX Media case as 'politically motivated.'

"All allegations against me are false and politically motivated," Karti said when he was being brought back to Delhi from Mumbai by the CBI. Karti was taken to Mumbain to confront the ex-directors of INX Media Ltd.

3. Karti confronted with Indrani Mukerjea: Karti Chidambaram was taken to Mumbai's Byculla jail and confronted with Indrani Mukerjea in relation to the INX Media case. Mukerjea is one of the ex-directors of the company. 

Official told PTI that Karti Chidambaram and Mukerjea were brought face-to-face and questioned by the CBI team for about four hours.

Mukerjea, a former director of INX Media (P) Ltd, is lodged in the jail in connection with the Sheena Bora murder case.

4. Karti allegedly moved Rs 18 million to senior political leader's account: Sources in the Enforcement Directorate told Times of India that the investigators have found details of Karti transferring Rs 18 million into the bank account of an influential political figure. 

Karti had allegedly transferred the money from his account in the Chennai branch of Royal Bank of Scotland. 

According to the report, ED is considering summoning the political stalwart for an explanation on the transfer of money in five instalments between January 16, 2006 and September 23, 2009.

5. Karti Chidambaram to be in custody till March 6: Special CBI judge Sunil Rana remanded Karti to five days in the agency’s custody after expiry of the one-day custody of Karti Chidambaram granted to CBI. This means that the son of the former finance minister will be in custody at least until March 6.

“The police remand of accused Karti Chidambaram is necessary to confront the accused with documents, co-accused and to unearth the larger conspiracy and role of other accused,” Rana said.

While he agreed to the Karti Chidambaram lawyer’s request that he be allowed to get medicines, the CBI judge denied him home-cooked food. “CBI will get him the best food,” said judge Sunil Rana.

Also, when Karti Chidambaram refused to remove some of his gold ornaments, citing religious reasons, he was allowed to continue wearing them while in custody.

6. Karti’s custody needed to unearth larger conspiracy, says CBI court: The special CBI court said there was a need to unearth the larger conspiracy in the INX Media case and Karti's presence would serve some important purposes connected with the investigation.

While sending Karti to CBI's custody for five days, the court said Karti's custody was necessary to confront him with documents and co-accused, as well as to probe the role of others involved in the case.

7. Will be vindicated eventually, says Karti: Karti Chidambaram on Thursday said he would be vindicated eventually after he was sent to CBI custody till March 6 in connection with the INX Media money-laundering case, 

8. Don't worry, I'm there, Chidambaram tells Karti: "Don't worry, I am there," former Finance Minister P Chidambaram told his son Karti when he saw him in the CBI court where he was brought for extension of custody on Thursday in the alleged INX Media bribery case.

The senior Congress leader was present during the arguments that went on for more than three hours before CBI Judge Sunil Rana.

9. Parents’ presence made Karti calm and relaxed in courtroom: Karti Chidambaram appeared more relaxed and calm in the presence of his parents during the over three-hour-long hearing, after which he was sent to 5-day CBI custody.

Karti was escorted by a posse of CBI sleuths amidst tight security to the courtroom of Special Judge Sunil Rana, where lawyers and media persons were already present.

His mother Nalini Chidambaram, herself a senior advocate, came to the courtroom 15 minutes after Karti entered and had a quick chat with her son when the judge was hearing the bail plea of his Chartered Accountant S Bhaskararaman, who had been arrested by the Enforcement Directorate.

10. Karti owes his troubles to his parents: “This whole exercise is to politically target my father.” Karti Chidambaram wrote in his arrest memo. His father, P Chidambaram has faced allegations of corruption for nearly a decade, mostly from Bharatiya Janata Party Rajya Sabha member Subramanian Swamy. It was no surprise when Swamy characteristically tweeted on Wednesday that Chidambaram senior should also be arrested.

There was also little surprise in what Karti wrote in his arrest memo. Karti is convinced he is collateral damage in the political fight between the Narendra Modi government and his father.

Along with Robert Vadra, the brother-in-law of Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, alleged corruption by Karti, was the leitmotif of Modi’s 2014 Lok Sabha election campaign.