CBI court accepts Indrani Mukerjea’s plea to turn approver in INX Media case
1 min read . Updated: 04 Jul 2019, 05:10 PM IST
Premium- CBI registered an FIR in 2017 for alleged irregularities in FIPB clearance to INX Media for receiving overseas funds to the tune of ₹305 crore in 2007
- Mukerjea is facing trial in a case involving the murder of her daughter Sheena Bora
New Delhi: A CBI court on Thursday allowed Indrani Mukerjea to turn approver in the INX Media case that involves former finance minister P. Chidambaram and his son Karti.
The order was passed by Special Judge Arun Bhardwaj at Rouse Avenue court complex. The Rouse Avenue court on 30 May transferred the case to Special Judge Arun Bhardwaj in the matter pertaining to the approver application moved by Mukerjea in the case.
The approver application was earlier heard by Special CBI judge Anurag Sain who sent the matter to the district judge to mark it to the appropriate bench which has the authority to deal with sitting MPs and MLAs. The matter was transferred after one of the accused Karti Chidambaram became an elected Member of Parliament.
Mukerjea is facing trial in a case involving the murder of her daughter Sheena Bora. Lodged in Mumbai’s Byculla jail, Mukerjea, on a video call, had requested to be pardoned. Her plea to turn approver in the INX Media case was not opposed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
CBI had registered an FIR in May 2017 for alleged irregularities in the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance to INX Media for receiving overseas funds to the tune of ₹305 crore in 2007. Thereafter, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had lodged a money laundering case against the company's founders Peter Mukerjea, his wife Indrani, and others under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
Karti Chidambaram is accused of having received ₹10 lakh in kickbacks in 2007 to help get clearances for foreign investments for INX Media at a time when his father P. Chidambaram was the finance minister in the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government. He is also an accused in a case relating to alleged irregularities in the approval granted by the Foreign Investment Promotion Board to the Aircel-Maxis deal.
