Indrani Mukerjea

NEW DELHI: A special CBI court on Thursday allowed Indrani Mukerjea , who is facing trial for the murder of her daughter Sheena Bora, to turn approver in the INX Media case in which former Union finance minister P Chidambaram and his son Karti are co-accused. Special judge Arun Bhardwaj approved the plea filed by Indrani, in which she makes a “full and true” disclosure about what “transpired” between the Chidambarams and her husband Peter Mukerjea and her.

The petition mentions that her decision to turn approver was not taken under duress. Indrani, represented by advocate Rajtilak Guha Roy, has been asked to appear before the special CBI court on July 11. She is lodged in Mumbai’s Byculla jail. Karti was arrested by CBI in 2018 for his alleged role in the INX Media corruption case. He had allegedly sought a bribe of $1 million from the Mukerjeas when they met at the Hyatt hotel in Delhi.

When CBI sought his remand, solicitor general Tushar Mehta raised questions about his father’s alleged role in the Foreign Investment Proposal Board granting INX media permission to receive foreign funding in 2007. Chidambaram was then finance minister in the UPA government. CBI called Karti the “ultimate beneficiary” and the “prime conspirator” in the alleged money trail.

The Chidambarams are also facing a probe in the INX Media case registered by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. The money laundering case is based on an FIR filed by CBI, alleging that Karti-controlled companies received at least Rs 3.5 crore from INX Media in exchange for influencing FIPB clearance.



In Video: Indrani Mukerjea becomes approver in INX Media case