Chidambaram questioned by CBI for nearly 4 hrs in INX media case

Former finance minister P Chidambaram was questioned by the CBI for nearly four hours today in connection with alleged irregularities in clearances to foreign investments in INX media during his tenure, officials said.

The agency has alleged irregularities in the clearance of foreign investment in INX media, a venture promoted by former media baron Peter Mukerjea and his wife Indrani, both probed by the CBI in connection with their daughter Sheena Bora's murder, they said.

The senior Congress leader arrived at the agency headquarters at 11 am and had gone out for lunch. He was again questioned in the afternoon.

After coming out of CBI headquarters here, an unfazed Chidambaram posted on Twitter that he had appeared before the CBI and the FIR did not contain any allegations against him.

 

"Questions and answers were based on the files of FIPB. Hence there was little to add to the record," the Congress leader said on Twitter.

Sources said he was questioned as a suspect.

The sources said Chidambaram was asked to appear under Section 41(A) of the CrPC wherein a police officer can call a person, whose arrest is not required, and against whom a reasonable complaint has been made, or credible information has been received, or a reasonable suspicion exists that he has committed a cognizable offence, to appear before him or at such other place as may be specified in the notice.

Chidambaram's alleged role has come under the scanner of investigating agencies in connection with the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance of Rs 305 crore given to INX media, but his name was not mentioned in the FIR as an accused.

The CBI had registered an FIR on May 15 last year for alleged irregularities in the FIPB clearance to INX media for receiving overseas funds to the tune of Rs 305 crore in 2007 when Chidambaram was the finance minister during the UPA-I government.

Chidambaram's son Karti Chidambaram was also arrested in the case for allegedly receiving funds to the tune of Rs 10 lakh.

The other accused in the case include then INX media director Indrani Mukerjea and the then INX news director, Peter Mukerjea, both in jail in the murder case of 24-year-old Sheena Bora, who was Indrani's daughter from previous marriage.