Published 11:11 IST, September 10th 2019
INX Media case: CBI gets the nod to question Indrani in Byculla jail
A special CBI court in Mumbai has allowed the CBI to question Indrani Mukerjea in Byculla Jail for three hours on Tuesday in relation to the INX media case
On Monday, a special CBI court in Mumbai has allowed the CBI to question Indrani Mukerjea in Byculla Jail. Special CBI Judge JC Jagdale directed the jail superintendent to facilitate the Investigating Officer’s meeting with Indrani on Tuesday. The court said that the former media executive could be questioned only between 9.30 am and 12.30 pm.
Indrani Mukerjea has been lodged in Byculla jail since 2015 as an accused in the murder of her daughter Sheena Bora.
‘Meeting Indrani is very essential’
Earlier, R Parthasarthy, the deputy superintendent of the CBI told the court that Indrani was one of the accused named in the First Information Report (FIR) of the INX Media case. He informed the court that Letters of Rogatory (LRs) were sent to foreign countries to ascertain financial transactions of some accused in the case. According to him, the financial authority of one of the countries had sought some clarification before providing the necessary help. In this regard, it was of utmost importance to question Indrani for the case.
INX Media case
Both Indrani and her husband Peter Mukerjea are accused in the INX Media case. The CBI had registered an FIR on May 15, 2017, alleging irregularities in the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance granted to INX Media for foreign funds of Rs.305 crore during Congress leader P Chidambaram’s tenure as Finance Minister.
According to the CBI, the Mukerjea couple, who were the owners and founders of INX Media had swung a deal in their favour to secure the FIPB clearance. Indrani turned approver in the case and gave a confessional statement to a magistrate under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).
The alleged involvement of the Chidambaram father-son duo
Indrani Mukerjea has alleged that money had exchanged hands, benefiting one of Karti Chidambaram’s companies in lieu of the FIPB approval. Last year, Karti was confronted by Indrani at Byculla jail after his arrest in this case. He was later released on bail. His father P Chidambaram too was also arrested by the CBI last month in the same case. He has now been sent to Tihar jail.
Updated 17:13 IST, September 10th 2019