P Chidambaram destroyed evidence of meeting Indrani Mukerjea, CBI tells court

Source:- indiatoday.in

he Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) today accused senior Congress leader and former Finance Minister P Chidambaram of “destroying” evidence of meeting Indrani Mukerjea, who has turned approver in the INX Media case.

P Chidambaram is facing investigations by the CBI in the INX Media case where he is accused of misusing his position as India’s finance minister to benefit INX Media, in which Indrani Mukerjea had a major interest.

Arguing for the CBI before the Delhi High Court today, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said the visitor’s log for the day when P Chidambaram met Indrani Mukerjea is “missing”.

He said, “On investigation, it appeared that visitors’ register has been destroyed.”

Tushar Mehta was responding to Kapil Sibal’s (appearing for P Chidambaram) argument before the high court that “there is no evidence” that links P Chidambaram with Indrani Mukerjea.

“I have no recollection of meeting Indrani Mukerjea. Hundreds of people call upon the finance minister. You’ll have to check the visitor’s log to confirm,” P Chidambaram told the court through his counsel Kapil Sibal.

P Chidambaram has been in jail since August 21 when CBI arrested him from his house in Delhi in a late night drama. This was a day after the Delhi High Court refused to grant P Chidambaram interim relief from arrest in the INX Media case. At present, he is lodged in the Tihar Jail in New Delhi.

ANOTHER EVIDENCE

The CBI today argued that though the visitor log appears to have been destroyed, it has collected evidence from Oberoi Hotel which corroborates that Indrani Mukerjea and her husband Peter Mukerjea used the hotel’s vehicle to visit P Chidambaram.

CBI said Indrani Mukerjea is not just a co-accused in the INX Media case. She’s an approver. “She gave her statement before a magistrate in absence of police and said she met P Chidambaram,” CBI told the court.

CBI OBJECTS BAIL PLEA

Besides this, CBI also objected Chidambaram’s bail plea saying he might “influence witnesses” in the INX Media case.

In his arguments, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for CBI, said records make out a “grave case” against P Chidambaram.

“Documents will show that offences under India Penal Code, Prevention of Corruption Act and Prevention of Money Laundering Act have been committed,” he told the court.

Tushar Mehta argued that CBI is not calling P Chidambaram a flight risk because he vanished for 24 hours, rather he is a flight risk because “(a) he is accused of a serious offence, (b) he knows that conviction is likely, (c) he has the resources to sustain himself in another country indefinitely”.