SC Agrees To Look Into CBI Findings On Karti's Foreign Accounts While Chidambaram Seeks End To Vindictive Actions [Read Affidavit]

The Supreme Court will look into the documents placed before it by the CBI pertaining to the foreign bank accounts and properties of Karti Chidambaram, son of former union minister P Chidambaram, while justifying the lookout circular issued against him.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra on Tuesday agreed to peruse the documents as the CBI said there was money trail involved in the graft case involving Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance to INX media for receiving overseas funds of Rs 305 crore in year 2007, when P Chidambaram was the Finance Minister.

While the apex court agreed to look into the documents, P Chidambaram filed an affidavit stating that the probe agency was bent upon humiliating Karti because he is his son.

In the affidavit, P Chidambaram also spoke about how the lookout circular (LOC) issued against Karti was without any justification.

Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta submitted that there was good ground to look into the documents in the sealed cover since the issue revolved around whether Karti could be trusted to go abroad.

The CBI also said there was money trail in the case and added that Karti has made wrong statements about his foreign bank accounts.

Appearing for Karti, senior advocate Kapil Sibal said the issue is the LOC and not the foreign bank accounts.

To this, the CBI said there was apprehension of tampering of evidence and "LOC has direct link with tampering of evidence".

The court, after hearing the arguments, said it would look into the documents on Wednesday.

The CBI has challenged the stay granted by Madras High Court on the LOC issued by the Centre against Karti.

Meanwhile, P Chidambaram filed the affidavit saying, “Since the NDA government came to power, the Central government has been carrying on a politically motivated vendetta against my family, especially against my son.”

He said the agencies of the Central government had not spared the friends of Karti and even persons remotely connected with him.

Pointing out that on February 2, 2017, the Special CBI court discharged all the accused in Aircel-Maxis case, he said, “Having failed to make out a case against him or his son in the Aircel-Maxis case, the CBI appears to have registered another FIR on May 15, 2017, in what is described as the INX Media case alleging that Karti Chidambaram induced unnamed public officials of FIPB to grant approval to the proposal of INX Media Ltd”.

“I may add that though there may be change in the political dispensation of the government, it is expected that registration on criminal cases will be done only in accordance with law. But in the present case, I would like to point out that after my statement was recorded by the CBI on December 6, 2014, the investigative agencies continued to harass and humiliate me and the members of my family.”

‘’LOC, a device to humiliate my son’

P Chidambaram said: "The device of an LOC was employed by the authorities only to cause harm as well as humiliation to the first respondent because he is my son.

“Even when the matter relating to the LOC is subjudice before this Hon’ble court and there is absolutely no evidence of any illegality, the petitioner has, yet again, taken recourse against the first respondent to issue summons on September 7 and 29 calling upon him to appear before CBI in connection with the Aircel- Maxis case which stands closed and terminated. I am bringing this to notice of this Hon’ble court to show that the intention is purely to malign me and the members of my family in various ways.”

“I respectfully submit that this honorable court should put an end to the utterly mala fide and vindictive actions been taken by the petitioner (CBI) against the first respondent in particular by issuing a lookout circular when there was no cause or justification to do so and intended for the sole purpose of embarrassing and humiliating family and in particular, me,” the affidavit said.