'Comedy of errors': Chidambaram on ED search at his residence

Senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram on Saturday said "in a comedy of errors" the Enforcement Directorate searched his residence here in connection with a case against his son Karti but found "nothing" in the search, done to "cover up their tracks".

He also claimed that the CBI and the ED had searched Karti's residence in Chennai thrice so far but had found nothing there.

The former Finance Minister said the Supreme Court had issued notices to the ED in the cases filed by Karti on the ground that the agency had no jurisdiction over offences under Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

"The main ground in the cases is that there is no FIR in respect of a scheduled crime registered by any police agency including the CBI or any other investigating agency. In the absence of a scheduled crime and there are no proceeds of the crime, the ED has no jurisdiction under PMLA."

He said on Friday after the case was heard in the Supreme Court he had anticipated that in view of the notices issued, the ED may "do some drama to cover up their tracks".

"I anticipated they will search the premises in Chennai again. but in a comedy of errors they came to search the premises in Jor Bagh (in Delhi) and officers told me that they believed Karti is an occupant of this house but he is not. He lives in Chennai."

He said he had no objection to their conducting searches because they had warrants. "The ED has no jurisdiction to investigate under PMLA. I recorded that. Obviously they found nothing. They searched bedroom, kitchen. They found nothing. Since they have to justify, they came here.

"They took away papers related to a statement made by the government in 2012-13 in the case and the background papers related to the case. They took away 13 loose sheets of paper. I have recorded that. They are photocopies of the statement made in parliament.

"In Chennai also, they produced a statement after their searches. Three times so far the CBI and the ED have raided his (Karti's) residence. They found nothing, they seized nothing. I can only compliment them.

"The officers were polite. But they were quite embarrassed and they were apologetic" as they found that Karti was not an occupant here.

--IANS

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