The Enforcement Directorate on Friday filed a money laundering case against Karti Chidambaram, son of Congress leader P Chidambaram, INX Media and its directors, which includes Peter and Indrani Mukerjea. On Thursday, airport officials said Karti Chidambaram had left for London with a friend.
The agency has registered an Enforcement Case Information Report in the case, which is under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act and is on par with an FIR, officials said. The agency has also taken cognisance of the Central Bureau of Investigation’s FIR against them.
Others named in the case, INX media directors Peter and Indrani Mukerjea, had been charged separately with murder in the Sheena Bora murder case. Bora was Indrani Mukerjea’s daughter.
Unidentified officials said the agency will investigate the alleged “proceeds of crime” in the money laundering case and may seize the assets of those accused. The Chidambarams have denied all charges and alleged this is part of a political ploy, after there were multiple raids conducted on their properties in four cities.
The raids followed the CBI’s FIR against the former finance minister’s son and INX Media for criminal conspiracy and cheating. The officials had said they were investigating the charge that Karti Chidambaram’s company had received Rs 10 lakh from INX Media – which got a Foreign Exchange Promotion Board clearance for Rs 4 crores – but had actually received Rs 305 crores in foreign funding.
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