CBI tells the court: Karti Chidambaram not cooperating
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has told a Delhi court that they want to question senior Congress leader and former finance minister P Chidambaram's son, Karti for nine more days.
Karti Chidambaram was arrested by the CBI last Wednesday from Chennai and was interrogated for five days.
During his custody, he was taken to Mumbai where he was confronted with former INX Media director Indrani Mukerjea in connection with the case at the Byculla prison.
The CBI complained that Karti had not been cooperating by denying to share the password to his phone. He was allowed to meet his parents, P Chidambaram, and Nalini Chidambaram who was present in the courtroom, for 10 minutes.
On Tuesday, the central investigating agency submitted certain documents in a sealed cover related to the probe in the case over the last six days before the court.
CBI was allowed Karti Chidambaram's custodial interrogation for five days on March 1 with the Court stating the need to unearth the larger conspiracy in the INX Media case indicating his presence to serve an important purpose.
The CBI counsel VK Sharma sought for extension of custody for a further nine days saying that the Karti Chidambaram’s answers were ‘evasive’ and needed to elicit further information.
Based on the statement from Indrani Mukerjea, who recorded it under section 164 of the CrPC before a magistrate on February 17, the fresh evidence in the case triggered the arrest.
The probe agency reportedly, said that there were ‘shocking pieces of evidence’ of Karti Chidambaram’s involvement when he went abroad and that he closed bank accounts in which funds were received.
CBI stated that the first FIPB approval was made to INX Media in 2007 and the reference was made in the Finance Ministry in April 2008. Further, the payment of the bribe money began from June 2008 onwards and the second FIPB approval was given on November 2, 2008.
Now, the CBI is investigating whether the April 2008 reference was a 'pressure technique’.