Never met Peter or Indrani Mukherjea, says Karti Chidambaram, claims "political vendetta"

New Delhi: Karti Chidambaram on Thursday termed the arrest of his father P Chidambaram as a “political vendetta” and vehemently denied any association with either Peter Mukherjea or his wife Indrani Mukherjea, the promoters of INX Media.

Karti arrived here this morning from Chennai, hours after his father was arrested on Wednesday night after high drama at his residence here in the INX Media case.

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 didn’t 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. 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 Mukherjea, Karti said he neither knew them nor has he met them.

“I have never met Peter Mukherjea. Have never met Indrani Mukherjea, 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.

Chidambaram, who spent the night in a CBI guest house will 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 Mukerjea, 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 Chidambaram, the CBI has said in the FIR.

Chidambaram has strongly denied the allegations, saying the payments were for consultancy and his son was in no way associated with that company.