As former finance minister P Chidambaram who has been under CBI custody since last Wednesday night, August 21, in connection with INX Media case, his family on Tuesday challenged the Centre to produce evidence to support their claim that he possess a bank account, property or shell company anywhere in the world.
His son Karti Chidambaram, who is also an accused in the case, took to Twitter to issue a statement on behalf of his family. Exuding confidence in Chidambaram, they asserted that the truth will prevail.
“We are a family possessed of enough wealth. We are all income tax accesses. We do not crave for money and have no need to seek money in unlawful ways,” read the statement.
Statement on behalf of our family. @ANI @the_hindu @timesofindia @IndianExpress @ndtv @IndiaToday @CNNnews18 @TimesNow @NewsX pic.twitter.com/tzwWc4h5lI
— Karti P Chidambaram (@KartiPC) August 27, 2019
The former Union finance minister’s family commended him for his “impeccable honesty, work and contribution” and added that it cannot be wiped out by a “campaign of vilification”.
There are chapters plucked out of the ghost stories, one day these ghosts will be buried, it stated.
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Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court extended the protection from arrest granted to Chidambaram till Wednesday in a money laundering case filed by the Enforcement Directorate in the alleged INX media scam.
The top court was hearing a Special Leave Petition (SLP) moved by Chidambaram against the Delhi High Court order denying him anticipatory bail in the ED case. The hearing in the case will continue tomorrow.
Kapil Sibal, counsel of Chidambaram, also sought a direction to the ED to produce his client’s statement recorded by them in the case.
On Monday, a special court had extended the CBI remand of the Congress leader by four days (till August 30) in a corruption case filed by the CBI in INX Media scam. The agency had sought an extension contending that they have to “unravel the larger conspiracy”.
In 2017, the CBI had registered an FIR alleging irregularities in the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance given to INX Media to the tune of Rs 305 crore in 2007 when Chidambaram was the Union finance minister.
Following the FIR filed by CBI, ED had filed a case of money laundering against him.
(With inputs from ANI)