INX Media Case: ED Summons Chidambaram’s Former Personal Secretary For Third Time

In more trouble for former finance minister P Chidambaram, who is currently lodged in Tihar jail in connection with the INX media case, the Enforcement Directorate has once again summoned his personal secretary KVK Perumal. “Enforcement Directorate has summoned KVK Perumal formerly Private Secretary to P Chidambaram the then Union minister for finance for the third time, on September 18, at Lok Nayak Bhavan in Delhi,” reported ANI.

According to reports, the ED sought his reply on 40 questions and also sought the property details of his family members and photocopies of their passports.

The ED officials had earlier questioned Perumal about the dealings of Chidambaram and other financial, property and company details.

Earlier, a Delhi Court dismissed Chidambaram’s plea to surrender before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the INX Media scam.

The court order giving the ED the "exclusive right" to decide when to arrest a person for custodial interrogation effectively meant that Chidambaram will continue to be in jail till September 19. On September 5, the 73-year-old Congress veteran was remanded to 14-day judicial custody in a related corruption case filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

The CBI had registered an FIR on May 15, 2017, alleging irregularities in the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance granted to the INX Media group for receiving overseas funds of Rs 305 crore in 2007 during Chidambaram's tenure as the finance minister.

Thereafter, the ED lodged a money laundering case in the same matter in 2017.

Meanwhile, Chidambaram celebrated his 74^th birthday inside the Tihar jail. “Greetings from well-wishers make him feel "74 years young", Congress leader P Chidambaram, in jail on charges of corruption, said through his family on his birthday on Monday, and added that his thoughts on the day are on the economy. Birthday wishes for Chidambaram, who is in judicial custody in Tihar jail in connection with alleged corruption in clearances given to INX Media when he was finance minister, came from his party colleagues as well as his son Karti Chidambaram. The veteran Congress leader thanked everybody and said his spirits had lifted higher.