Indrani Mukerjea was the founder and chief executive officer while Peter Mukerjea was chairman and chief strategy officer. They set up INX Media three years ago after Mukerjea resigned as Star India CEO. According to a press release issued by the company, they will continue to be shareholders in the broadcasting company.
The probe agency made the submission in an affidavit filed before Justice A K Pathak, who listed the matter for hearing on August 1 and extended till then the interim protection against arrest granted to Chidambaram on May 31.
The HC asked him to furnish a bail bond of Rs two lakh and a surety of like amount.
This is the first time that the 73-year-old former finance and home minister is being grilled by the ED in this case.
Justice A K Pathak had asked Chidambaram to join questioning and cooperate in the investigation as and when called by the CBI.
A Delhi court Wednesday issued summons to former Union minister P Chidambaram and his son Karti in the INX Media money-laundering case on taking cognisance of the charge sheet filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) against them.
If the deal goes through, it will be Lachlan's first investment through which he will take on his father Rupert Murdoch directly in the broadcasting space.
The CBI had sought to set aside a special judge's March 5 order that directed the agency to allow inspection of documents kept in the 'malkhana' (room where case properties are kept) by the accused or their counsel.
Karti was arrested on February 28 by the Central Bureau of Investigation on his return from the United Kingdom, and his 12-day judicial custody was to expire on Saturday in the case.
The CBI had registered an FIR in the case on May 15, 2017 alleging irregularities in the FIPB clearance granted to the media group for receiving overseas funds to the tune of Rs 305 crore in 2007 during Chidambaram's tenure as finance minister.
Chidambaram had on Wednesday rushed to a trial court for protection from arrest in Aircel-Maxis case before approaching the Delhi high court in connection with the INX Media case, in which he has been asked by probe agencies to join investigations.
The court had also directed Chidambaram to cooperate with the investigation in both the cases as and when required.
Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram's son Karti's name has also cropped up in the case
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing CBI and ED, contended that the Congress leader was evasive during interrogation and was giving long answers.
The court directed Chidambaram to cooperate with the ED's investigation.
About 11 entities may be charged in the first charge sheet in the case, the sources said without elaborating on the issue.
FIR says that the officials by virtue of influence exercised over them by Karti, not only ignored the serious illegality on the part of INX Media on both the counts but also deliberately showed undue favours to INX Group.
The letter rogatory, a judicial request for information from an Indian court to a court abroad, was sent recently to the United Kingdom, Singapore, Mauritius, Bermuda and Switzerland, they said.
INX Media, the company set up by Indrani Mukherjea, wife of ex-Star Group CEO Peter Mukherjea, has roped in three top advertisers -- Vodafone, Reliance Industries and Future Group -- for their Hindi entertainment channel 9X. Each of these advertisers are believed to be paying Rs 35-40 crore (Rs 350-400 million) for a three-year contract. The television broadcaster has formed Club INX, which will include corporates keen to advertise on the channel.
Foreign funds are picking up just under half of the equity in INX Media
Chidambaram, 74, was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation on August 21 and is lodged in Tihar jail under judicial custody in the corruption case.
After coming out of CBI headquarters in New Delhi, Chidambaram said he had appeared before the CBI and the first information report did not contain any allegations against him.
The court extended the judicial custody of Chidambaram after the Central Bureua of Investigation sought extension of the veteran Congress leader's judicial remand.
The Delhi high court on Tuesday stayed the proceedings before the trial court in the CBI's INX Media corruption case involving Congress leader P Chidambaram and his son Karti.
Chidambaram, who was accompanied by police personnel in the police bus, was put in a special cell in the Asia's biggest prison complex as per the orders of the CBI court.
The apex court imposed certain conditions on Karti and directed him to furnish an undertaking in three days that he would abide by the conditions and timeline of his visit.
Right from the early days of liberalisation, there have been political controversies surrounding several cases that landed on the FIPB table and which, in turn, have often led to court battles.
The court directed Tihar authorities to provide Chidambaram with medicines, western toilet, security and separate cell.
He was produced before the court after the Supreme Court refused to entertain his plea challenging the Delhi high court order which had dismissed his anticipatory bail plea in the corruption case lodged by the CBI arising out of the INX Media scam.
Indrani Mukerjea is the founder and the newly-appointed CEO of INX Media. She also heads INX News. The youngest woman to head a media group in the world, Indrani Mukerjea spoke to Sayantani Kar on INX's bouquet of channels that will be launched in the next one-and-a-half years.
D B Corp, the owner of the Hindi daily Dainik Bhaskar, is in advanced discussions with broadcaster INX Media to acquire a stake in the company that operates the entertainment channels as well as a majority stake in its English language news channel NewsX. Both companies are promoted by Indrani and Peter Mukerjea, the former Star India CEO.
Chidambaram has not been named as an accused in the FIR and the CBI is yet to file a chargesheet in the matter.
The case is related to the alleged irregularities in granting clearance by the Foreign Investment Promotion Board to INX Media, once owned by Peter and Indrani Mukherjea, for receiving overseas funds to the tune of Rs 305 crore.
The veteran Congress leader said people asked him why only he had been arrested, but he had no answer.
"His (Chidambaram) arrest is good news. He is now cornered from all sides," Indrani Mukerjea told reporters in a sessions court where she was produced to attend trial in the case of killing of her daughter Sheena Bora.
His son Karti was questioned by the agency in the same case on Thursday for about six hours.
The chargesheet names 14 accused, including the Congress leader's son Karti Chidambaram, Peter Mukherjea and Indrani Mukerjea.
Mukerjea recorded her statement under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act and said she and her husband Peter Mukerjea met Chidambaram at his office in Delhi's North Block.
A Delhi court has allowed Congress MP Karti Chidambaram, accused in Aircel-Maxis and INX Media scam cases, to travel to Spain and the United Kingdom from June 25 to July 17.
The family sources said that Chidambaram has lost around 8-9 kg since his detention.