No basis for raid, Karti Chidambaram fumes after another ED search

CHENNAI: After a second raid in a fortnight, Karti P Chidambaram, son of former finance minster P Chidambaram, hit out at investigating agencies for carrying out a search based on what he dubs “false allegations.”

Karti, a law graduate from the Cambridge University, UK, and a member of the All India Congress Committee, has been in at the receiving end of persistent inquiry from the Enforcement Directorate and the Income tax department reportedly after alleged money-laundering in the Aircel-Maxis deal and foreign exchange relating flouting of law in investments in an eye-care chain.

His father had earlier accused the Enforcement Directorate for carrying out the agenda of the present-day government. On December 1, officers had combed several offices, including main locations of Vasan Healthcare, which is alleged to have investments from Karti.

In the statement to the press today, Karti said the officers were after three companies, two of them "professionally managed" and owned by Karti’s “friends” and one firm he was not even aware of.

“As can be expected when false allegations are made, nothing related to the said firms were found in my office… As far as I am concerned, I maintain that there was, and is, no basis for them to have visited my office or to make enquiries in my office," read the statement.