India arrests former Finance Minister P. Chidambaram’s son

Thursday, 1 March 2018 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Karti Chidambaram, son of former finance minister P. Chidambaram, gestures as he leaves a court after a hearing in New Delhi, India, February 28, 2018. REUTERS

New Delhi (Reuters): The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested the son of former Finance Minister P. Chidambaram on Wednesday, but the agency which has been investigating suspected criminal misconduct related to approvals of investment deals, did not reveal the charges.

Karti Chidambaram was detained at the airport in Chennai and will be appear in court later in the day, AbhishekDayal, CBI spokesman said.

“The reasons for the arrest will be provided in the court.”

P. Chidambaram, 72, served twice as Finance Minister in the Congress-led coalition that ran India for a decade, from 2004-08 and then from 2012 until the party’s election defeat at the hands of Modi’s BharatiyaJanata Party (BJP) in May 2014.

He has been a vocal critic of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and current Finance Minister ArunJaitley.

Congress Spokesman Randeep Singh Surjewala tweeted that the Modi Government was continuing its “vendetta” against Chidambaram, and called the arrest a diversionary tactic to hide “scams and colossal corruption”.

In May, Police raided the homes of Chidambaram and his son as part of the probe into approvals of foreign investment proposals.