The CBI is probing as to how Chidambaram, who was the Union finance minister in 2006, granted an FIPB approval to a foreign firm when only the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs was empowered to do it.
Former finance and home minister P Chidambaram (Photo: Subrata Dutta/SNS)
The Enforcement Directorate on Thursday filed a supplementary chargesheet against former finance minister P Chidambaram and eight others in Delhi’s Patiala House Court in connection with the Aircel-Maxis money laundering case.
The agency has named nine accused in the case including Chidambaram, S Bhaskaraman and four Maxis companies.
The court has fixed November 26 as the date for consideration on the chargesheet.
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In July this year, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had named Chidambaram and his son Karti Chidambaram in its chargesheet in the Aircel-Maxis case.
In its chargesheet filed earlier in the case against former telecom minister Dayanidhi Maran, his brother Kalanithi Maran and others, the agency had alleged that Chidambaram had granted an FIPB approval in March 2006 to Mauritius-based Global Communication Services Holdings Ltd, a subsidiary of Maxis.
The CBI is probing as to how Chidambaram, who was the Union finance minister in 2006, granted a Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) approval to a foreign firm when only the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) was empowered to do it.
It is also alleged that Karti Chidambaram illegally took service charges for getting the FIPB clearance to the INX Media for receiving funds from abroad worth Rs 305 crore.
The agency said its probe revealed that the case of the said FDI was “wrongly projected as an investment of Rs 180 crore so that it need not be sent to the CCEA to avoid a detailed scrutiny”.
ED said the charges were based on evidence — emails retrieved from the digital devices of Chidambaram’s son, Karti, which revealed routing of the proceeds of crime in the guise of bonafide business deals by Maxis group to the companies of Karti.
ED probe revealed financial linkage of Karti and his father with these companies despite the “contradictory and evasive” responses of various people questioned in connection with the case.
The ED said it will continue its probe into the case deal under the PMLA Act after taking cognisance of a 2011 CBI FIR in the case.
Meanwhile, earlier today, the Delhi High Court had extended P Chidambaram’s interim relief from arrest till November 29 in the INX Media money laundering case.
Both P Chidambaram and Karti Chidambaram have denied the allegations levelled against them by the CBI and the ED.
(With PTI inputs)
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