INX Media Case: Karti Chidambaram to be in CBI custody till March 6th

New Delhi, March 1: Karti Chidambaram, son of former Finance Minister and senior Congress leader P Chidambaram who has been held by the CBI in connection with the INX Media Case will be in the custody of the agency until March 6th.

Special Judge Sunil Rana extended Karti 's custody till March 6 after the CBI contended that there were very shocking evidences of his activities while on a recent trip to London.

The court has allowed Karti's advocates to meet him for one hour each in the morning and evening during CBI custody. It also permitted Karti to carry medicines on prescription, but refused to allow home food.

Karti was arrested at Chennai airport yesterday when he returned from the United Kingdom. In November, the Supreme Court allowed Karti Chidambaram to go to the UK for his daughter's admission in the Cambridge University.

The CBI had filed an FIR in the matter on May 15 last year alleging irregularities in the FIPB clearance to INX Media for receiving overseas funds to the tune of Rs 305 crore in 2007 when Chidambaram was the Union finance minister. The CBI has also alleged that Karti had received funds to the tune of Rs 10 lakh in the case.

According to the CBI, INX Media clearly states in its records that Rs 10 lakh was given to Advantage Strategic Consulting (P) Limited, a firm "indirectly" owned by Karti, for management consultancy charged towards FIPB notification and clarification.

Besides the central probe agency, the Enforcement Directorate has also registered a money laundering case. The CBI is also probing the alleged irregularities in grant of the FIPB clearance to the Aircel-Maxis deal in 2006.