CBI questions Chidambaram for over four hours in INX Media case
New Delhi, June 6: Former Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram was on Wednesday questioned for over four hours by the CBI in connection with the INX Media corruption case.
After the questioning by a special CBI Economic Offences Wing team, the senior Congress leader reiterated that the FIR contains no allegations against him.
The Central Bureau of Investigation said Chidambaram appeared at its headquarters here around 11 a.m. and left around 4.50 p.m.
Chidambaram was questioned till 1.30 p.m., after which he was allowed to step out for lunch. The questioning resumed at 3.30 p.m. and continued till around 4.45 p.m.
After leaving the CBI headquarters, Chidambaram tweeted: "Appeared before the CBI. The FIR contains no allegations against me.
"Questions and answers were based on the files of FIPB. Hence, there was little to add to the record," he said.
According to the agency officials, the former Minister was quizzed about his alleged role in the grant of Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) approval to INX Media in 2007.
The INX Media company was promoted by former media baron Peter Mukerjea and his wife Indrani Mukerjea, now in jail in connection with the murder of their daughter Sheena Bora.
A CBI official said the agency will analyse the Congress leader's statement and, if required, he will be again asked to join the investigation.
The Congress leader was summoned by the agency officials under Section 41(a) of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
The CBI first issued the summons to Chidambaram on June 1, asking him to appear before it the next day, but he skipped questioning after the Delhi High Court on May 31 granted him interim protection against arrest till July 3 in the INX Media case.
According to the CBI officials, it has prepared a set of questions to seek clarifications from the former Minister pertaining to a money laundering case registered in 2017 against Chidambaram's son Karti Chidambaram.
The CBI had on May 15, 2017 filed an FIR, accusing Chidambaram, Karti and others of involvement in irregularities in giving INX Media the FIPB clearance to receive Rs 305 crore in foreign investment.
The CBI had on February 28 arrested Karti, accusing him of taking money to facilitate the FIPB clearance to INX Media in 2007 when his father was the Finance Minister. Later, he got bail.
The CBI initially alleged that Karti received Rs 10 lakh as bribe for facilitating the FIPB clearance but the figure was subsequently revised to about $1 million or Rs 6.5 crore at the current exchange rate.
On Tuesday, the former Minister was questioned by the Enforcement Directorate for over five hours.
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59 percent voter turnout in first phase in J-K, polling peaceful: CEO
Jammu, Sep 18: A voter turnout of about 59 percent -- "the highest in the past seven elections" -- was recorded in the first phase of assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday, Chief Electoral Officer P K Pole said.
However, these are tentative figures and may rise after the final reports are received about postal ballots, and from remote pockets like Marwah, Wadwan, Dachhan and Machail in Kishtwar, the officer said.
Briefing mediapersons here after polling ended at 6 pm, Pole said the elections -- which covered 24 seats in seven districts -- ended peacefully without any untoward incident.
There are reports of some minor incidents of scuffle or argument from a few polling stations but "no serious incident" occurred that could have forced a repoll, he said.
Over 2.3 million voters were eligible to cast the ballot to determine the fate of 219 candidates, including 90 Independents.
"The polling percentage of 59 percent is highest in the past seven elections -- four Lok Sabha polls and three assembly elections," he said, attributing the increase in the voter turnout to various factors including improved security situation, active participation of political parties and candidates and a campaign by the department.
He said Kishtwar district recorded the highest 77 percent turnout, while Pulwama district witnessed the lowest 46 percent.
Doda district recorded a turnout of 69.33 percent, Ramban district 67.71 percent, Kulgam district 61.57 percent, Anantnag district 54.17 percent and Shopian district 53.64 percent.
In the 2014 assembly elections, the district wise poll percentage was: Pulwama 44 percent, Shopian 48 percent, Kulgam 59 percent, Anantnag 60 percent, Ramban 70 percent, Doda 73 percent and Kishtwar 76 percent.
In Kishtwar districts, he said, the Padder-Nagseni segment recorded the highest 80.67 percent voting followed by Inderwal (80.06 percent) and Kishtwar (78.11 percent).
In the nearby Doda district, Doda west segment recorded 75.98 percent, Doda (70.21 percent) and Bhaderwah (65.27 percent).
In Ramban district, Banihal segment recorded 71.28 percent and Ramban 67.34 percent, he said.
Among the seven constituencies of Anantnag district, Pahalgam recorded the highest voter turnout at 67.86 percent, followed by Kokernag (58 percent), Dooru (57.90 percent), Srigufwara-Bijbehara (56.02 percent), Shangus-Anantnag (52.94 percent), Anantnag West (45.93 percent) and Anantnag 41.58 percent, Pole said.
In Pulwama district, the CEO said, the Pulwama segment witnessed 50.42 percent polling, followed by Rajpora 48.07 percent, Pampore 44.74 percent and Tral 43.21 percent.
In Shopian district, the Shopian segment recorded a voter turnout of 54.72 percent and Zainapora 52.64 percent.
In Kulgam district, D H Pora recorded a turnout of 68 percent, Kulgam 62.70 percent and Devsar 57.33 percent, Pole said.
He said seven districts of south Kashmir had been traditionally low poll percentage constituencies and in some of the past elections, the percentage had not even crossed the single digit.
Asked about a social media video purportedly showing a policeman losing temper and aiming his gun before being overpowered by his colleagues outside a polling station in Kishtwar, he said the district election officer and the returning officer concerned have taken note and issue was resolved amicably.
PDP and BJP candidates were involved in an argument at the polling station.
Pole expressed hope that the remaining two phases on September 25 and October 1 will also see high polling percentage.
Meanwhile, the election commission expressed satisfaction over the long queues of voters at the polling stations showcasing the entire world, the deep trust and confidence of the people of J&K in the democratic exercise.
The polling was held across 3,276 Polling Stations in the seven districts and 24 special polling stations set up for migrant pandits in Jammu, Udhampur and Delhi.
According to officials, 31.42 percent of the more than 35,000 eligible kashmiri migrant voters exercised their franchise. While 27 percent cast their votes at 19 polling stations in Jammu, 40 percent at four polling stations in Delhi and 30 percent at one polling station in Udhampur.
In each of the seven districts where voting was held in the first phase, the voter participation exceeded the participation during the Lok Sabha 2024 elections, the election commission said in a release.
The performance builds on the trend witnessed during the Lok Sabha elections in Jammu and Kashmir which saw a voter turnout of 58.58 percent at polling stations, highest in the last 35 years.
Voting began at 7 am and proceeded steadily through the day. Men and women, the young and old, some too frail to walk and others patiently waiting their turn, queued up outside polling booths across Kashmir Valley and Jammu.
Security forces fanned out to ensure that there was no trouble. The day was largely without incident except for reports of clashes between political workers in some areas of Bijbehara and D H Pora.
