The CBI has now begun a probe into how a 2013 draft report reached the ex-finance minister’s home. The papers found during the raids were linked to the Aircel-Maxis deal. The documents were found on January 13th at Chidambaram’s Jor Bagh residence.
The ED Probe
The ED is also probing Chidambaram’s role in giving approval for a deal that his son is also associated with. The CBI is verifying whether the documents are indeed correct. When asked to comment on the ED raids against property associated with his son Chidambaram commented that it was a ‘comedy of errors’. He also said the officers had left the residence ’embarrassed’ and ‘apologetic’.
The case goes back to FIPB approval given to a deal in 2006 by Chidambaram. It was being investigated under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. With regard to the case, the ED had found that the approval granted to the Aircel-Maxis deal was beyond the mandate of the Finance minister. Any approval sought beyond 600 crore rupees was to be looked into by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs.
Karti Chidambaram has been linked to the case, as the ED had found he had ‘disposed of’ a property in Gurgaon that he had rented out to a multi-national company that had gotten FDI approval. He is also believed to have shut certain accounts linked to the case. This is not the first money laundering case Karti Chidambaram is associated with. He has also been linked to the INX media deal.
The other side
Chidambaram has not commented on the case, regarding the raids at his residence in January he said, “Since they had to justify the search, they took some background papers related to the statement made by the government in Parliament in 2012-2013. In Chennai also they found nothing and seized nothing.” In January Chidambaram had said that there was no FIR filed against him or his son. He also mentioned that Enforcement Directorate was misusing its powers, he believed that the accusations were being made against him and his son because he belonged to the opposition.