During Karti’s questioning

8 hours, 100 questions: CBI grills Karti Chidambaram

NEW DELHI: The CBI informed the Supreme Court on Monday that investigations so far had revealed former finance minister P Chidambaram ’s son Karti owned 25 properties abroad.Additional solicitor general Tushar Mehta told a bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra that the CBI was submitting a report in sealed cover detailing the properties. “Let the court go through it and post the hearing on some other day,” he said.Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, who made his first appearance for Karti in place of senior advocate Gopal Subramanium , called the CBI’s allegations “innuendoes” aimed at defaming Karti’s father, mother and wife. “I have serious objections to this,” he said.Responding to the CBI’s allegation that Karti owned 25 properties abroad, Sibal said, “, not a single question was asked about the properties. If the government, income tax department or the CBI finds I have any undisclosed assets abroad, I am ready to sign a declaration that the government can take them over.”Mehta said, “These properties are being held by Karti in the name of shell companies. The investigation is at a crucial stage.” The bench asked the CBI to submit details of the investigation in a sealed cover and posted the matter for further hearing on September 18.But Sibal was in no mood to let go of the CBI. “The mala fide allegation about properties abroad could not be a justification for issuance of lookout notice by the CBI. The lookout notice was issued in relation to the alleged irregular FIPB clearance in 2007. Karti is no fugitive from justice that he be barred from travelling abroad. It violates his fundamental right, especially when there was no justification for issuance of the lookout notice,” he said.On September 2, the SC had asked Karti not to travel abroad till September 11 while permitting the CBI to furnish details of his interrogation in the case relating to an allegedly irregular FIPB nod for investment of Rs 305 crore in INX Media in 2007 when his father was Union finance minister.Karti’s previous counsel Subramanium had claimed that the CBI was on a vindictive path to victimise him because his father was a former FM and member of a political party in opposition to the NDA government. On August 18, the SC had asked Karti to appear before the CBI on August 23 for questioning with regard to the INX Media case.