Chidambaram says CBI pressured to file charge sheet against him

Former finance minister P Chidambaram arrives at Patiala House Court in New Delhi. (PTI)

Congress leader P Chidambaram, against whom the CBI has filed a charge-sheet in Aircel-Maxis case, today alleged that the probe agency has been pressured to take action against him to support a "preposterous" allegation. Soon after the CBI filed the supplementary charge-sheet against him and his son Karti, the former finance minister said he will "vigorously" contest the case in the court.

"CBI has been pressured to file a charge sheet to support a preposterous allegation against me and officers with a sterling reputation," he tweeted.

Chidambaram said the case is now before a court and it will be "vigorously" contested. "I shall make no more public comment," he said. The senior Congress leader's role had come under the scanner of investigating agencies in the Aircel-Maxis deal of Rs 3,500 crore and INX Media case involving Rs 305 crore.

The CBI was conducting a probe as to how Chidambaram, who was the finance minister in 2006, granted Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) approval to a foreign firm when only Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) was empowered to do it.

In its charge sheet filed earlier in the case against former telecom minister Dayanidhi Maran, his brother Kalanithi Maran and others, the agency had alleged that Chidambaram had granted FIPB approval in March 2006 to Mauritius-based Global Communication Services Holdings Ltd, a subsidiary of Maxis.

The Enforcement Directorate is also probing a separate money laundering case in the Aircel-Maxis deal in which Chidambaram and Karti have been questioned by the agency.

Both Chidambaram and Karti have denied the allegations levelled against them by the CBI and ED.