What TV doesn't, print can't; we deliver.
What TV doesn't, print can't; we deliver.
NEW DELHI: Karti Chidambaram, son of former Union Minister and senior Congress leader P Chidambaram, on Saturday slammed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) over the searches at his residence saying that his daughter’s entire university stint has been “prepped with the raids”.
In a tweet, Karti said, “Press Statement Regarding CBI My daughter’s entire university stint has been peppered with raids. Since the first raid in 2015, the raids have happened during her board exams, preparation for Cambridge University admission and now on her return after submitting her thesis.”
He also attached a statement by his lawyer G Sarath Babu.
In the statement, Babu said that when the CBI searched the residence located at number 16, Pycrofts Garden Road, Nungambakkam, Chennai on May 17 this year, “they found nothing”.
“There was one cupboard in the residence that was locked and the owner was abroad. That cupboard was opened today and there were only clothes. The CBI found nothing and seized nothing,” the lawyer said.
“However, the CBI has illegally seized a laptop and an iPad belonging to Karti P Chidambaram’s daughter (who is a University student) that contains her academic work. We have strongly protested the action and will move the Courts against the illegal seizure,” Babu added.
The remarks by Karti and his lawyer came after the CBI officials on Saturday carried out searches at the premises of the Congress Lok Sabha MP from Tamil Nadu’s Sivaganga.
The CBI sources said that the agency carried out searches at the premises of Chidambaram in Chennai after the agency sealed the house because the locks can only be opened with a finger scanner.
The source said that the house was opened on Saturday by Nalini Chidambaram, wife of the former Finance Minister and the CBI carried out searches.
A fresh case was registered by the federal investigative agency alleging that Karti received a bribe of Rs 50 lakhs for facilitating the visas of over 263 Chinese nationals for the Talwandi Sabo Power Plant in Punjab’s Mansa from 2010 to 2014 when P Chidambaram was holding the portfolio of Union minister of home affairs.
Besides Karti, the CBI has named his close associate S Bhaskararaman, Mansa-based private company’s representative Vikas Makharia, Talwandi Sabo Power Limited, Bell Tools Limited and unknown public servants and private persons.
CBI had said that Talwandi Sabo Power Plant was in the process of establishing a 1980 MW Thermal Power plant at Mansa in Punjab. The official said that the establishment was outsourced to a Chinese Company called Shandong Electric Power Construction Corp (SEPCO).
He further alleged that payment of crores was made to Karti through a false invoice by a company which made industrial knives citing consultancy services and visa-related work.
The CBI is already probing P Chidambaram and his son in other cases too. Karti and P Chidambaram were earlier arrested in the case.
