A Delhi court on Friday dismissed former finance minister P Chidambaram’s request to surrender in a money laundering case against him relating to INX Media.
Chidambaram had moved an application to surrender before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the INX media case.
Chidambaram is currently lodged in Tihar Jail under judicial custody in a CBI case related to INX Media.
Chidambaram is under probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and ED over alleged irregularities in the FIPB clearance granted to INX Media for receiving overseas funds of Rs 305 crore in 2007 during his tenure as Union Finance Minister.
On Wednesday, the ED had questioned his personal staff.
The ED suspects Chidambaram and his son Karti Chidambaram of owning several immovable properties and over 16 bank accounts in other countries, which they are trying to identify to trace the money trail.
The ED, in September 2017, had attached assets worth Rs 1.16 crore of Karti who is under probe for allegedly receiving kickbacks in lieu of the FIPB clearance.
A special CBI court on September 5 ruled that former Union Minister will go to Tihar jail in connection with the INX Media case.
Accepting the CBI’s argument that he should be sent to judicial custody, the CBI court said that Chidambaram will remain in judicial custody till September 19.
The Supreme Court had earlier rejected P Chidambaram’s appeal against the Delhi High Court’s order rejecting his anticipatory bail plea in a case being probed by Enforcement Directorate (ED) in INX Media case.
On August 21, CBI had arrested Chidambaram from his residence in the posh Jor Bagh area of New Delhi.
The CBI had registered an FIR on May 15, 2017, alleging irregularities in the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance granted to the INX Media group for receiving overseas funds of Rs 305 crore in 2007 during Chidambaram’s tenure as Finance Minister. Thereafter, the Enforcement Directorate lodged a money laundering case in this regard in 2017.
Chidambaram and his son Karti were named by Peter and Indrani Mukerjea, who owned INX Media at the time and are currently in jail in connection with the murder of Indrani Mukerjea’s daughter Sheena Bora.