Days after the arrest of Karti Chidambaram on the charges of money laundering, some Enforcement Directorate officials have claimed that the former had transferred Rs 1.8 crore into the bank account of a politician.
The officials have alleged that Karti, son of senior Congress leader P Chidambaram, transferred the money from his account in the Chennai branch of Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), reported The Times of India.
Refusing to reveal the identity of the recipient, the ED officials also said that the politician has served at the Centre for many years and any disclosure of details will obstruct the investigation.
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The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear Karti's fresh plea seeking quashing of summons issued by Enforcement Directorate in INX Media case.
Karti was arrested at Chennai airport on his return from the United Kingdom, in connection with the FIR lodged on May 15 last year alleging irregularities in Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance to INX Media for receiving overseas funds worth about Rs 305 crore in 2007 when his father was the Union finance minister.
It is alleged that Karti had received funds to the tune of Rs 10 lakh in the case, officials had earlier said.
The fresh evidence in the case, which triggered his arrest, was based on the statement of Mukerjea, who recorded it under section 164 of CrPC before a magistrate on February 17.
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The CBI alleged that Karti Chidambaram also received money from INX media to scuttle a tax probe. The firm was owned at the time by former media baron Peter Mukerjea and Indrani, who are currently in jail on charges of murdering Indrani's daughter Sheena Bora.
The Enforcement Directorate has also registered a money laundering case.
The CBI and the ED had carried out a series of searches at the houses and offices owned by the Chidambarams. Karti Chidambaram was questioned several times by the ED.
A Delhi court had on March 1 allowed the custodial interrogation of Karti Chidambaram by the CBI for five days, saying there was a need to unearth the larger conspiracy in the INX Media case and his presence would serve some important purposes connected with the investigation.
The court had said his CBI custody was necessary to confront him with documents and the co-accused, as well as to probe the role of others involved in the case.
(With PTI inputs)
