PC's son tampered with proof'

The CBI on Wednesday contended before the Supreme Court that Karti Chidambaram, son of former Union minister P Chidambaram, tampered with evidence in a graft case against him during his visits abroad in May, June and July this year.

The agency defended the lookout circular issued against him after registration of an FIR on May 15, saying that he had the potential to further tamper with the evidence.

Claiming possession of “contemporaneous official records,” Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said before a bench presided over by Chief Justice Dipak Misra: “Between May 13 and May 18 and second week of June to the second week of July, he went abroad and he did tamper with the evidence.”

He also sought to place before the bench some documents in a sealed cover, which was objected to by senior advocate Kapil Sibal — representing Karti.

Sibal questioned the way in which the CBI was seeking to place on record certain documents in a sealed cover after Mehta referred to legal provisions and said these empowered the probe agency to share case diary with the court without sharing them with the accused.

Mehta sought time to seek instructions on whether the division bench of the Madras High Court could be asked to decide the main matter pending there.

The court posted the matter for further hearing on October 9. The CBI claimed irregularities in Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance to INX Media for receiving overseas funds to the tune of Rs 305 crore in 2007 when Karti’s father was the Union finance minister.