CBI moves court for narco test of Karti Chidambaram

The Central Bureau of Investigation on Wednesday moved a special court seeking permission to conduct narco analysis test on Karti Chidambaram, arrested in the INX media case.

Special judge Sunil Rana said that he will take the matter on March 9 when Karti is brought to the court after three days of custodial interrogation by the CBI.

The court will also take up for hearing two other applications of the CBI seeking production warrants of Karti's chartered accountant S Bhaskararaman, arrested in the money laundering case, and co-accused Indrani Mukerjea, court sources said.

Karti was yesterday sent to three more days of CBI custody with the court saying that the extension of his remand was necessary to maintain continuity in the investigation to secure evidence to arrive at the truth.

The application for narco analysis test assumes significance as the agency on Tuesday alleged that Karti was not cooperating in the investigation and was 'evasive' in his replies.

Mukerjea is currently in a Mumbai prison in connection with murder case of her daughter Sheena Bora.

Karti was arrested on February 28 at the Chennai airport on his return from the United Kingdom, in connection with the first information report lodged on May 15 last year alleging irregularities in the Foreign Investment Promotion Board clearance to INX Media for receiving overseas funds worth about Rs 305 crore in 2007 when his father P Chidambaram was the Union finance minister.

The CBI has alleged that Karti received Rs 10 lakh as bribe for the FIPB clearance.

Photograph: PTI Photo