New Delhi: Former media baron Peter Mukerjea was sent to five-day CBI custody by a court on Monday in connection with the INX media money laundering case.
Peter, an accused in the Sheena Bora murder case, will now have to be produced on March 31 before Special CBI judge.
The CBI moved a remand application seeking five days’ custody of Peter for interrogation. Peter, who was lodged in Arthur Road Jail in Mumbai, was on Sunday brought to Delhi along with four CBI officials.
The primary reason behind CBI seeking custody of Peter has been the statement of Indrani Mukherjea where she had said that she and her husband had met Karti Chidambaram to discuss Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) approvals for INX Media.
Both Peter and Indrani had alleged, in their statements to the Enforcement Directorate, that they met the then finance minister P Chidambaram at his North Block office, seeking clearance for foreign investments in their media company after the Income Tax department detected irregularities in 2007.
The couple had also said that they subsequently met Karti at a five-star hotel in Delhi, where he allegedly made a demand of USD 1 million, they said, adding that this was reiterated by Indrani before the magistrate as well.
The CBI has also contended before Judge Rana that "discovery of extremely voluminious documents have been made" and that they "are so voluminous in nature that it's not possible to take it to Mumbai."
However, counsel for Peter reiterated that all the grounds raised by the CBI were "vague." "Under no circumstances should an accused be remanded in police custody unless it is made clear that his presence is actually needed for the completion of an investigation. Peter is not the author of these documents that he needs to be confronted with these," said the counsel.
The CBI also submitted that now Karti would also be confronted with Peter to unravel the case.
Last week, the CBI had moved an application before a court saying it would require to interrogate Peter in the INX case.
On March 4, a team of six CBI officials had brought Karti to Byculla women's prison to confront him with Indrani. The CBI team had videographed the conversation.
The Mukerjeas are lodged in separate jails for their alleged involvement in the murder of Indrani's daughter, Sheena Bora.
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