The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday has filed a charge sheet against senior advocate and former Union Minister P Chidambaram in the INX Media money laundering case.
Amidst COVID-19 pandemic, an e-Chargesheet for commission of offences under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act was filed before Judge Ajay Kumar Kuhar, Special CBI Court, Rouse Avenue.
As per reports, e-charegsheet is protected by a password. The Court has asked ED to file a hardcopy of the chargesheet once courts return to normal functioning.
Apart from P Chidambaram, the chargesheet also names Karti Chidambaram, chartered accountant S SBhaskararaman and others.
The INX Media case pertains to the alleged irregularities in the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance to INX Media when P Chidambaram was the Finance Minister. It is alleged by the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) that P Chidambaram and his son Karti had received illegal gratification from INX Media owners Peter and IndraniMukherjea for the clearance.
P Chidambaram was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) from his residence in relation to the same on August 21, 2019, a day after his plea for anticipatory bail was rejected by the Delhi High Court.
The High Court had opined that prima facie, the allegations were serious in nature and P Chidambaram had played a “key and active role”in the same.
After nearly two months, Chidambaram was granted bail by the Supreme Court in the CBI case and was finally released from Tihar Jail on December 4, 2019.
Karti was granted bail by Delhi High Court in March 2018.
CBI Court had taken cognizance of CBI’s chargesheet against P Chidambaram, son Karti Chidambaram and others in INX Media case, on October 21, 2019.
In the CBI case, the accused are facing proceedings for the commission of offences under sections 120-B, 420, 468, 471 IPC and Sections 9, 13 of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
