SC to hear Karti plea against ED on Tuesday

The Supreme Court will on Tuesday hear a plea by Karti Chidambaram, son of Congress leader P. Chidambaram, challenging the summons by the Enforcement Directorate in the INX Media case.

A bench, headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra, on Monday said it would hear the plea after it was mentioned for an early hearing by lawyer Shally Bhasin.

Karti Chidambaram is currently in the custody of the CBI that is investigating allegation of his taking money for FIPB clearance to INX Media -- now renamed 9X Media -- when his father was Finances Minister.

He has dubbed the allegations as "politically motivated".

Karti Chidambaram was arrested by the CBI at Chennai airport soon after his arrival from an overseas visit on February 28.

The CBI has charged Karti Chidambaram with using his father's clout to get a Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance for INX Media, then owned by Indrani and Peter Mukerjea -- currently in jail in connection with the sensational murder of Sheena Bora -- Indrani's daughter from a previous husband -- in 2012.

Indrani Mukerjea spilled the beans on the deal involving Karti Chidambaram while recording her statement before a magistrate in New Delhi on February 17, including that he had allegedly taken bribes from her.

Among other things, she alleged that Karti received Rs 3.5 crore in kickbacks from INX Media for securing the FIPB clearance in 2007 in which it received around Rs 305 crore funds from abroad.

She also said that Karti had met her in a hotel in New Delhi and allegedly demanded $1 million for the FIPB clearances.

--IANS

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