INX Media case: Delhi court exempts Karti and P Chidambaram from appearing before it due to elections

New Delhi: A Delhi Court on Wednesday granted exemption from personal appearance to former union minister P Chidambaram and his son Karti for the day in the INX Media scam-related money laundering case. Special Judge M K Nagpal granted relief to the Chidambaram’s after an application in this regard was moved by their lawyer, saying the accused were busy in the Assembly election campaign in Tamil Nadu. The accused were summoned by the court on 24 March after taking cognisance of a supplementary charge sheet filed by the ED. The court will further hear the matter on 16 April. Both are star campaigners, their lawyer Arshdeep Singh said. The court also issued notice to the ED on a bail application moved by co-accused Peter Mukharjea in the case. P Chidambaram was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the INX Media corruption case on 21 August, 2019. On 16 October 2019, the ED arrested him in a related money-laundering case. Six days later, on 22 October, the apex court granted bail to Chidambaram in the case lodged by the CBI. In the ED case, he got bail on 4 December, 2019. The CBI had registered its case on May 15, 2017, alleging irregularities in a Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance granted to the INX Media group for receiving overseas funds of Rs 305 crore in 2007, during Chidambaram’s tenure as finance minister. Subsequently, the ED had lodged the money-laundering case. Karti was arrested by the CBI in February 2018 and he was granted bail in March 2018 in the INX Media corruption case. He was granted interim bail from the Delhi high court in the money laundering case.