Hours after the CBI arrested former Union minister P Chidambaram in Delhi in connection with the INX media case, his son Karti arrived in the national capital and claimed that he had never met Peter Mukherjea or his wife Indrani Mukherjea in his life
New Delhi: Karti Chidambaram on Thursday (August 22) termed the arrest of his father and former Union minister P Chidambaram as a "political vendetta" and vehemently denied any association with either Peter Mukherjea or his wife Indrani Mukherjea who are the promoters of the INX media.
Karti arrived in New Delhi on Thursday morning from Chennai, hours after his father was arrested on Wednesday (August 21) night after the high drama at his residence in the INX media case took place.
"This is not merely targeting of my father but the targeting of the Congress party. I will go to Jantar Mantar to protest," said Karti as he stepped out of the Delhi airport.
Karti said there was no legal necessity for Chidambaram to appear before the CBI and denied that his father had been in hiding.
He said despite several efforts by the CBI, the agency did not have a case against them.
"First and foremost, we are being targeted. There is no legal requirement for my father to be available to anybody. My father is a vehement, vocal and articulate critic of this government. The case has no legal basis, charges trumped-up," said Karti, who said that he knew the processes agencies use and never has the CBI given two hours notice to anyone.
"I have been summoned 20 times and raided four times. Nobody has ever been raided as many times, but they still don't have a case. Each time I (was summoned) was given a week's notice," he said.
When asked about his association with Peter and Indrani, Karti said he neither knew them nor has he met them.
"I have never met Peter Mukherjea. Have never met Indrani Mukherjea. The only time I met her was during the CBI interrogation in Byculla jail. Never met anyone in FIPB (Foreign Investment Promotion Board), don't know the process of FIPB", he said.
Also watch: Here is all you need to know about Chidambaram's involvement in INX Media case
Chidambaram, who spent the night in a CBI guest house would be questioned in the alleged corruption in Rs 305 crore clearance given to INX media when he was the Union finance minister.
The firm once promoted by Peter and Indrani, both in jail for murdering the latter's daughter Sheena Bora, had allegedly made payments to a firm linked to the former finance minister's son Karti, the CBI has said in the FIR.
Chidambaram has vehemently denied the allegations, saying the payments were for consultancy and his son was in no way associated with that company.
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