ED questions Chidambaram in Air India purchase probe

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is questioning senior Congress leader P Chidambaram in connection with the alleged deal and purchase of 111 aircraft for Air India during the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government's tenure, probe agency sources said on Friday.

According to sources, the case pertains to the purchase of 111 aircraft -- 48 aircraft from Airbus and 68 from Boeing for Rs 70,000 crore in 2007.

The former finance minister was released from Delhi's Tihar Jail on December 4 last year after being granted bail in the INX media case.The Supreme Court directed Chidambaram not to give press interviews and make public statements with regard to the case.

Chidambaram had sought the bail in the case pertaining to the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance given to INX media to the tune of Rs 305 crore in 2007 during his tenure as the finance minister.The CBI had registered a corruption case in the matter in May 2017. Later that year, the ED also lodged a money laundering case against him.

The Congress leader was first arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on August 21 last year in the INX media case but was granted bail by the Supreme Court two months later.He was arrested by the ED in the money laundering case on October 16.