CBI unlikely to oppose plea of Indrani Mukerjea to turn approver in INX media case

CBI is unlikely to oppose the plea of Indrani Mukerjea to turn an approver in the INX media case against accused Karthi Chidambaram, agency sources indicated on Friday.

Last year, Mukerjea, the former head of INX media, gave her confessional statement in a Delhi court in connection with the INX Media case and later sent an informal letter willing to turn an approver in the matter.

The matter is slated to be heard on May 23.

Former Finance Minister P Chidambaram and son Karti are accused in the INX Media case.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) and CBI are probing how Karti managed to obtain clearance to the tune of Rs 305 crore from the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) in 2007 when his father was the finance minister.The ED 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 for receiving overseas funds to the tune of Rs 305 crore in 2007 when Chidambaram was the Union Finance Minister.Both the investigating agencies are also probing how Chidambaram's son Karti managed to obtain the FIPB clearance.Karti Chidambaram was arrested on February 28, 2018. He was later granted bail.The ED probe so far showed that for the FIPB approval, INX Media directors Peter and Indrani Mukerjea met P Chidambaram so that there was no delay in their application.The ED has attached properties worth Rs 54 crore belonging to Karti Chidambaram and a firm in connection with the case. It has also attached properties belonging to the Mukerjea duo in connection with the same case.

Indrani has been lodged at Mumbai's Byculla jail since her arrest in 2015 for her alleged involvement in her daughter Sheena Bora's murder case.