I-T dept's criminal prosecution against PC's family quashed

Chennai: In a relief to embattled Congress leader P Chidambaram, the Madras High Court Friday quashed criminal prosecution against his family members in a black money case, holding that no such offence was made out against them.

The issue relates to alleged non-disclosure of overseas assets and bank accounts held by Chidambaram's wife Nalini, his son Karti and daughter-in-law Srinidhi.

According to the I-T Department, the three had not disclosed a property they jointly owned in Cambridge in the UK worth Rs 5.37 crore in their returns which amounted to an offence under the Black Money (Undisclosed Foreign Income and Assets) Act and Imposition of Tax Act.

When their petitions came up before a division bench of justices S Manikumar and Subramania Prasad, the judges said no case was made out and quashed the criminal prosecution.