Court grants ED permission to question Indrani in PMLA case

Mumbai: A special CBI court here which is conducting the trial in the Sheena Bora murder on Thursday allowed the Enforcement Directorate to question key accused Indrani Mukerjea in connection with a money laundering case against her and others including Karti Chidambaram.

"It will not be proper to reject the ED application and it is allowed," said judge J C Jagdale.

The agency can interrogate Indrani Mukerjea tomorrow and on December 6.

In May, the ED registered the case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act against Karti Chidambaram, INX Media and its directors Peter and Indrani Mukerjea, and others.

It sought the Mumbai court's permission to question Indrani Mukerjea, as she is in judicial custody in the Sheena Bora murder case.

Peter Mukerjea and Indrani "allegedly siphoned off 90 million GBP (Great Britain Pounds) and this money is suspected to have gone to overseas countries through unauthorised route of hawala etc", the Enforcement Directorate plea said.

The Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) permitted INX Media to receive FDI for Rs 46.2 million, however, it received foreign investment totalling to Rs 3,053.6 million during August 2007 to May 2008, the ED said.

"Thus excess foreign exchange equivalent to Rs 3004.4 million beyond the disclosed and permitted foreign investment was received by INX media from three Mauritius-based foreign investors," the agency said.