Enforcement Directorate obtained permission from CBI to question Peter Mukerjea

The agency has claimed that Mukerjea’s INX media was involved in a money laundering case.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday obtained permission to interrogate former media Baron Peter Mukerjea in connection to a money laundering case registered in Delhi involving an INX media deal.

Peter Mukerjea (HT file photo)

The agency on Monday approached the special CBI court, which was hearing the trial in connection with the Sheena Bora murder case. It sought permission to question Peter for two days in the jail.

The ED has alleged that the couple, Pere and Indrani Mukerjea, siphoned 90 million Great Britain pounds from INX media and sent to unidentified countries through hawala channels.

The funds were shipped to overseas destinations and then routed back to India and the United kingdom through Mauritius-based foreign investors, claimed the ED.

The agency further claimed that the funds purportedly held in the form of bonds in New Zealand are being handled by Peter’s son, Rabin.

According to the agency, INX Media had filed an application on March 13, 2007 with the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB), the Ministry of Finance, and the Government of India seeking permission to receive funds from foreign investors.

FIPB, on May 31, 2007, permitted it to receive foreign investments of Rs42.2 million approximately as total investment inflow, including premium.

INX Media, however, received foreign investment totalling to Rs3,053.6 million between August 22, 2007 and May 12, 2008.

Thus, INX media received excess foreign exchange equivalent to Rs3004.4 million from three Mauritius-based foreign investors.