INX case: Ex-Minister Chidambaram appears for ED questioning

New Delhi, Feb 8 (IANS) Former Union Minister P. Chidambaram on Friday appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for questioning in connection with a probe into the INX media case for giving a Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance to the group in 2007. Chidambaram arrived at the Jamnagar office at 11.05 a.m. This is the third time that the former Finance Minister is being grilled by the ED in the last two months. He will be questioned under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), officials said. On January 21, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) which is also probing the INX media case, sought prosecution sanction against the the senior Congress leader from the Centre. On Thursday, the ED questioned his son Karti Chidambaram for over six hours. Karti has been questioned earlier on several occasions. Both the agencies are probing how Karti managed to get clearance from the FIPB in 2007 when his father held the Finance Minister portfolio. The ED probe so far showed that for the FIPB approval, INX Media directors Peter and Indrani Mukerjea met P. Chidambaram so that there was no hold-up or delay in their application. The ED has attached properties worth Rs 54 crore belonging to Karti and a firm in the case. It has also attached properties belonging to the Mukerjeas.