Karti Chidamabaram, facing CBI probe, leaves for London; father says he will return soon

New Delhi: Former Finance Minister and senior Congress leader P Chidambaram's son Karti, who is facing a CBI probe in connection with an alleged case of bribery and corruption, has left for London, reports said on Friday.

Karti Chidambaram left for London on Thursday evening, two days after the CBI conducted searches at his premises. 

Karti, accordimg to reports, left for London along with a friend.

However, defending hi son, the senior Chidamabaram said that Karti will return soon and that his London visit was pre-scheduled.

"Karti is travelling as per earlier travel plans. He will return after a few days. There is no ban on his travel," his father and senior Congress leader P Chidambaram said.

The CBI has recently launched an investigation against both father and son related to the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearances given to INX Media owned by Peter Mukerjea and his wife Indrani, who are currently in jail in connection with their daughter Sheena Bora's murder.

On Tuesday, the CBI raided Karti's home and offices in four cities to probe charges that he had received money from a media firm owned by Indrani and Peter Mukerjea to help them evade a tax probe.

Slamming the CBI move, Chidambaram called it political vendetta by the BJP-led NDA government.

"The government, using CBI and other agencies, is targeting my son and his friends. The government's aim is to silence my voice and stop me from writing, as it has tried to do in the cases of leaders of opposition parties, journalists, columnists, NGOs and civil society organizations. All I will say is, I shall continue to speak and write," he said.

The CBI had filed an FIR against Karti and the Mukerjeas on charges of criminal conspiracy, cheating, receiving illegal gratification, influencing public servants and criminal misconduct.

It alleged that Karti received money from INX Media for using his influence to manipulate a tax probe against it in a case of violation of Foreign Investment Promotion Board conditions for an investment from Mauritius.

With PTI inputs