INX Media case: SC asks ED about dates for questioning Karti Chidambaram

The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to inform it about the dates the agency wants to question Karti Chidambaram, son of senior Congress leader P Chidambaram, in INX Media case by Wednesday.

The apex court will now hear the plea of Karti Chidambaram seeking permission to travel abroad from February 21-28.

On January 25, CBI told Delhi High Court that it wanted to carry out custodial interrogation of former Union Minister P Chidambaram in the INX Media case, in which the court had reserved its judgement.

"We are opposing the anticipatory bail of P Chidambaram and want to take him on the police remand for interrogation. We want to exercise our statutory right to investigate the case," Solicitor General (SG) Tushar Mehta told the court, while appearing on behalf of the CBI.

ED is probing the role of senior Congress leader Chidambaram in the INX media money laundering case for giving a Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance to the group in 2007.

The ED probe so far showed that for the FIPB approval, INX Media directors Peter and Indrani Mukerjea met P Chidambaram, so that there was no delay in their application.

The ED has attached properties worth Rs. 54 crore belonging to Karti Chidambaram and a firm in connection with the case. It has also attached properties belonging to the Mukerjeas in connection with the same case.