Nalini Chidambaram in Saradha chargesheet; why wait 11 years, court asks ED
Times of India | 6 July 2024
KOLKATA: Why an 11-year delay, PMLA court judge Prashanta Mukhopadhyay asked ED on Friday when it named Nalini Chidambaram, Congress senior P Chidambaram's wife, in its 64-page chargesheet in the Saradha case.
In its third supplementary chargesheet, the agency named Nalini, also a lawyer, for working as a "consultant" for an accused in a deal for a private television channel.The judge asked ED to first explain the delay, submit additional documents to prima facie prove its charges and elaborate on the nature of the role of consultant, before the court considered whether to take cognizance of the chargesheet.
The special court questioned how a tax consultant was considered involved in corruption charges if s/he accepted consultancy fees from a client as a professional. The court also asked whether an advocate taking the brief on behalf of an accused could be considered a partner in crime. ED's lawyer Bhaskar Prasad Banerjee said the agency had filed a provisional attachment order against Nalini and the agency was "duty-bound" to mention her name in the chargesheet. ED had, in connection with the case, issued a provisional attachment order worth Rs 6 crore, including Nalini's assets, last year.
The agency said that although Nalini said she received the money as a legal fee for working as a tax consultant, she could not furnish any documents supporting this claim. ED also submitted a 1,100-page compiled document in the special court.
The judge asked the agency to send a notice to Nalini on the chargesheet as well as the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections that would be applicable. Nalini did not respond to messages from TOI.
CBI had earlier alleged that her name came up in a purported letter from Saradha boss Sudipta Sen to the agency in April 2013, where it was claimed that she had been paid from Saradha accounts. Sources said the agency claimed Nalini got Rs 1.5 crore from Sen.