New Delhi: A Delhi court took cognisance Monday of a chargesheet filed by the CBI in the INX Media corruption case against former Finance Minister P Chidambaram and 13 others, who are accused of various offences, including those under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The probe agency has claimed in the final report that P Chidambaram ‘misused his official position’, in conspiracy with his son Karti and others, in granting approval to a FDI proposal of INX Media and INX News Pvt Ltd in lieu of ‘illegal gratification’ in India and through offshore payments.
Before taking cognisance, Special Judge Ajay Kumar Kuhar put various queries to the CBI including who were cheated.
“The government was cheated,” advocate Padmini Singh, appearing for the probe agency, said, and added that requisite sanctions were received to prosecute the accused persons.
The court took cognisance of the report and directed the Enforcement Directorate (ED), which is currently interrogating P Chidambaram in its custody in a related money laundering case, to produce him before it October 24, when the 74 years old custody is scheduled to end.
The court, however, summoned Karti Chidambaram and 12 other co-accused, November 29 in the case.
Besides Karti and Peter Mukerjea, who are currently on bail, and chartered accountant S Bhaskaraman, who is currently on anticipatory bail in the case, the court also summoned others, including various former and current public servants.
Those summoned include Sindhushree Khullar, the then additional secretary, department of economic affairs (DEA); Ajeet Kumar Dungdung, the then section officer of FIPB unit (MoF); Rabindra Prasad, the then under secretary of FIPB unit; Pradeep Kumar Bagga, the then OSD, DEA; Prabodh Saxena, Director of FIPB Unit and Anup K Pujari, the then Joint Secretary (Foreign Trade) in the DEA.
The report was filed under sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy), read with 420 (cheating), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating), 471 (using as genuine a forged document or electronic record) of IPC and various sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act, including section 9 (taking gratification, for exercise of personal influence with public servant).
The maximum punishment for these offences is seven years.
Meanwhile in another development, the Supreme Court is scheduled Tuesday to pronounce judgement on Chidambaram’s plea challenging the Delhi High Court verdict denying him bail in the INX Media corruption case.
Chidambaram was arrested in connection with the graft case August 21 by the CBI, which chargesheeted him and others.
The 74-year-old senior Congress leader approached the apex court challenging the September 30 verdict of the high court which had dismissed his bail plea in the INX Media corruption case, filed by the CBI, saying the probe was at an advanced stage and the possibility of his influencing the witnesses cannot be ruled out.
A bench comprising justices R Banumathi, AS Bopanna and Hrishikesh Roy would also pronounce its verdict on the CBI’s plea challenging the findings of the high court which had said that Chidambaram was not a ‘flight risk’ and cannot tamper with the evidence.
PTI