INX media case: P Chidambaram spends quiet night at CBI headquarters

Chidambaram, accompanied by the members of the investigation team, was brought to the CBI headquarters at around 10 Wednesday night.

Former Union finance minister P Chidambaram spent a quiet night in the CBI guest house on the ground floor of the agency headquarters after his dramatic arrest from his posh residence in the INX media corruption case, officials said on Thursday.

Chidambaram, 73, was kept in the suite 5 of the guest house, they said.

It is normal for the agency to keep high security arrested accused in the guest house to ensure proper security and monitoring, the officials said.

Chidambaram, as then union home minister had participated in the inauguration of the new CBI headquarters in Delhi's Lodhi Road area in 2011 — the same building where he spent Wednesday night after being arrested by the Central probe agency.

The Congress leader, who served as Union Home Minister during November 2008 to July 2012 in the UPA government, was one of the key guests at the inauguration event of CBI headquarters, held on June 30, 2011, in the presence of then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Chidambaram, accompanied by the members of the investigation team, was brought to the CBI headquarters at around 10 Wednesday night, they said.

After a thorough medical check-up by a doctor from the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, he was taken to the room where he spent a quiet night, the officials said.

Mostly, they said, he remained silent except answering a few queries as and when questioned by the CBI officers.

His questioning will start at around 10 Thursday morning under DySP R Parthasarthy who is leading the probe in the alleged corruption in Rs 305 crore clearance given to INX media when he was the Union finance minister, the officials said.

The firm once promoted by Peter and Indrani Mukerjea, both in jail for murdering latter's daughter Sheena Bora, had allegedly made payments to a firm linked to finance minister's son

P Chidambaram has strongly denied the allegations, saying the payments were for consultancy and his son was in no way associated with that company., the CBI has said in the FIR.

Business Standard

Chidambaram faces arrest in INX Media case: Here's how the story unfolded

A timeline tracking the developments in the INX Media case that led up to the Delhi HC denying former finance minister P Chidambaram's anticipatory bail and making him stare at an impending arrest

Business Standard : Former finance minister and Congress leader P Chidambaram is facing an arrest in the so-called INX Media case. Chidambaram’s son, Karti, allegedly used his father’s influence as a Union minister in the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government in 2017 to influence approval for a Rs 305-crore foreign investment in INX Media.

The Central Bureau of Investigation has accused Chidambaram, Karti, INX Media, and unknown officials of the finance ministry in the case. INX Media was once owned by Indrani and Peter Mukerjea, the couple now in jail in an unrelated murder case.

Here are key dates to know in the INX Media case.

May 15, 2017: CBI files FIR alleging irregularities in Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance to INX Media for receiving overseas funds to the tune of Rs 3.05 billion in 2007 when Karti's father was the Union Finance minister

June 16, 2017: The Foreigner Regional Registration Officer (FRRO) and the Bureau of Immigration, under the Union Home Ministry, issues look out circular (LOC) against Karti

August 14, 2017: Supreme Court (SC) stays Madras HC order staying Centre's LOC issued against Karti

September 22, 2017: CBI tells SC that Karti was prevented from travelling abroad as he was allegedly closing several of his foreign bank accounts.

February 16, 2018: Karti's CA S Bhaskararaman arrested for allegedly assisting him to manage his "ill-gotten wealth" in India and abroad

February 28, 2018: Karti arrested by the CBI at the Chennai airport and brought to Delhi. Delhi court sends him to one-day police custody.

March 5, 2018: Karti challenges in the SC the summons issued to him by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the money laundering case

March 6, 2018: Special court remands him to three-day CBI custody. His plea for bail in CBI case adjourned to March 9.

March 15, 2018: SC gives interim protection to Karti from arrest by the ED in connection with the case until March 26.

March 23, 2018: Delhi HC grants bail to Karti in the INX Media corruption case.

October 12, 2018: ED attaches Karti Chidambaram's properties worth Rs 540 million

November 1, 2018: SC rejects urgent hearing on Karti Chidambaram's plea seeking abroad travel

Chidambaram to Lalu: High-profile politicians who faced probe for 'graft'

Chidambaram will today appear before CBI for questioning in connection with alleged irregularities in giving INX Media the clearance to receive foreign investment.

Former finance minister P Chidambaram was on Tuesday questioned by the Enforcement Directorate, which probes financial crimes, in what is widely known as the Aircel-Maxis case.
On Wednesday, Chidambaram will appear before the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for questioning in connection with alleged irregularities in giving INX Media the clearance to receive foreign investment.


Here is a list of high-profile politicians, including former Union ministers, who have faced probe for alleged corruption in recent times:


P Chidambaram
On Tuesday, the senior Congress leader for the first time deposed for questioning before the ED, which issued a summons to him.
The agency recorded his statement under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in connection with the Rs 35-billion Aircel-Maxis deal, news agency PTI reported. The ED has already questioned his son, Karti.


A court has asked the ED not to take any coercive action against the senior Chidambaram or arrest him until July 10. The Congress leader says the ED action is a "crazy mixture of falsehoods and conjectures".


The case pertains to the grant of Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance to M/S Global Communication Holding Services Ltd in 2006 for investment in Aircel.
The agency says Chidambaram facilitated FIPB approval in the Aircel-Maxis FDI case in March 2006, even as he was authorised to approve project proposals for up to Rs 6 billion only. For any investment beyond that, the approval of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) needed to be sought.

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