As per a report by DNA, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had interrogated about 40 people including senior journalist Vir Sanghvi to build its case in the INX Media scam, which has now seen the arrest of Karti Chidambaram, the son of former Finance Minister P Chidambaram. As per a DNA journalist, Sanghvi was interrogated by the ED on 5th January.
As per the report, Sanghvi had denied allegations of him facilitating a meeting between Karti Chidambaram and Indrani, Peter Mukerjea the INX Media promoters. The report claims that Sanghvi had responded to the allegations by stating that Peter Mukerjea already knew Chidambaram by 2007 when a said meeting alleged by Indrani took place.
DNA also quoted Sanghvi regarding the questioning, who called it a routine investigation of about 40 executive and investors which supposedly didn’t include the Karti Chidambaram angle. When it comes to the allegations of “payments” being made to Karti Chidambaram, Sanghvi has claimed that the matter related to May 2008 and he no longer worked with the INX group then.
Sanghvi is also quoted as saying that he used to work with INX Media’s sister company INX News till January 2008 and had filed a complaint with the I&B Ministry regarding financial irregularities. He also claimed that he wasn’t on talking terms with Peter Mukerjea and had some open battle with him.
The claims that the Enforcement Directorate had questioned Sanghvi has been corroborated by a Hindu report, which talks about the ED recording the journalist’s statement in connection with the case. Sanghvi as per the report was approached by the agency to “determine the nature of the financial irregularities”.
The INX Media scam pertains to the Chidambaram father-son duo being under scanner regarding the FIPB (Foreign Investment Promotion Board) approvals being provided to INX media, allegedly in exchange of bribes given to Advantage Strategic Consulting Pvt Limited, a firm controlled by Karti Chidambaram.
