CBI informs Delhi High Court on registering a regular case against Chidambaram’s family members in Hotel grabbing. CBI details wife Nalini’s role

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday told the Delhi High Court in its Final Report that former Finance Minister P Chidambaram’s family members were involved in a hotel grabbing conspiracy with the Indian Overseas Bank (IOB). In its 20-page report, CBI said that in 2007, the former Finance Minister’s wife Nalini was actively involved in grabbing a hotel, Comfort Inn in Tirupur, for her sister Padmini. The agency in its Final Report informed the High Court that they have decided to convert the preliminary inquiry into a regular case and also informed that the IOB is not granting Sanction for Prosecution against the Bank officials involved in this hotel grab.

PGurus in 2016 exposed the hotel grabbing case of P Chidambaram’s family members[1]. The timeline of the case is as follows:

1. In 2007, the then Finance Minister Chidambaram’s wife Nalini’s sister Padmini wanted the hotel, Comfort Inn, in Tirupur – owned by Dr. Kathirvel. He did not budge. Using some officials of the IOB, the Hotel’s account was declared as a Non-Performing Asset (NPA) and the auction was conducted in a hurry over the protests of the hotel owner.
2. The Bank forcibly conducted the auction and Padmini was declared the owner by the Bank. Nalini tried to overpower Kathirvel by several means and the details of her fraud is described in the petition filed in the Delhi High Court in 2016.
3. Advocate Yatinder Chaudhary, appearing for Kathirvel argued that this is the biggest misuse of power in India by grabbing a hotel from its owner in connivance with a PSU Bank (IOB) by the then Finance Minister’s family.

The agency also said that Padmini actually quoted a low price during the stage-managed auction and later increased the price at the last minute and the only one other bidder did not attend the auction.

We are publishing the 20-page final report of the CBI at the end of this article, exposing the fraud of Chidambaram’s family members. At one point Chidambaram, when he was a Finance Minister, wrote to Kathirvel that he had instructed his wife not to engage in this case. Nalini had even given money through cheques to Kathirvel to withdraw the case and her voice records were also produced in the Delhi High Court[2].

The CBI detailed how the Indian Overseas Bank went in haste and under the pressure of the Chidambaram family, declared a hotel as NPA, and conducted the auction in a speedy manner, and awarded it to the then Finance Minister’s sister-in-law. Padmini was found dead weeks after Delhi High Court ordered the CBI to probe the case in 2017 and her son-in-law was also found dead in 2018 in mysterious circumstances. Detailing the role of Chidambaram’s wife Nalini, CBI said that her role in pressuring the hotel owner Kathivel needs to be probed and also the way in which auction was conducted by the bank. The agency also said that Padmini actually quoted a low price during the stage-managed auction and later increased the price at the last minute and the only other bidder did not attend the auction!

Citing the objections of Indian Overseas Bank in March 2020, on giving Sanction for Prosecution against the officials who connived with Nalini and Padmini, CBI told the High Court that they are ready to file a regular case in the Hotel grabbing by Chidambaram’s family members. The question is why the IOB is not allowing CBI to probe the case? Still, through some pliable Finance Ministry officials, is Chidambaram pressurizing the IOB officials even after the CBI is ready to probe the case?

The 20 pages CBI final report on Chidambaram family members in Hotel Grabbing is published below:

Dr. K Kathirvel vs. CBI (Status Report) by PGurus on Scribd

References:

[1] Businessman Kathirvel files complaint with CBI against Chidambaram, family & IOB for hotel grab – Sep 25, 2016, PGurus.com

[2] Phone conversation of Nalini Chidambaram exposes her role in hotel grabbing – Apr 27, 2017, PGurus.com