CBI asked to take necessary steps in the hotel-grabbing case
Delhi High Court ordered to Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to take necessary steps in the hotel grabbing case by former Finance Minister P Chidambaram’s family members in connivance with Indian Overseas Bank officials. The CBI which informed the Court about registering a Regular Case after a preliminary inquiry in September 2020 has not yet filed the case and the Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) was not granting Sanctions to Prosecute the three senior officers who helped Chidambaram’s wife Nalini Chidambaram’s younger sister Padmini (now late) to grab a hotel in Tirupur in Tamil Nadu by misusing the Sarfesi Act.
“Needless to say the CBI shall take necessary steps with regard to the preliminary enquiry in accordance with the law,” said Justice Amit Sharma in a recent order dated February 29. Dr. Kathirvel who was running the hotel – Comfort Inn in Tirupati approached Delhi High Court in 2017 on how Chidambaram’s family members grabbed his hotel in 2007 in connivance with IOB officials. That time Chidambaram was Finance Minister.
Businessman Kathirvel’s advocate Yatinder Chaudhary blamed the CBI for not registering a regular case even after informing the entire illegalities by Chidambaram family and IOB officials to the High Court four years ago. In September 2020, the CBI told the Delhi High Court that they will soon register Regular Case, citing the non-cooperation from the Indian Overseas Bank.[1]
Advocate Yatinder Chaudhary also pointed out that the petition by Dr. Kathirvel also showed the direct involvement of Nalini Chidambaram with audio tapes and the offering of cheques to settle the issue. The petition also showed that then Finance Minister Chidambaram’s letter to Kathirvel assuring that his wife would not be involved in this case in the future.[2]
In 2007, Nalini’s sister Padmini expressed her desire to buy the hotel Comfort Inn and Kathirvel did not oblige. Then IOB enforced all kinds of illegalities and declared an auction of the hotel and granted it to Padmini when Chidambaram was Finance Minister. Ratifying Kathirvel’s petition, the CBI in earlier affidavits ( in 2020 and 2023) stated that they would soon register a regular case after conducting the preliminary enquiry. In the affidavits of CBI, it is clearly stated that the agency had found a dubious and illegal role of Chidambaram’s wife Nalini, acting in collusion with Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) officials, for her grabbing Hotel Comfort Inn, Tirupur, TN [when her husband Mr. Chidambaram was Finance Minister in 2007].
CBI in its affidavits further states that however, the Public Sector Bank Indian Overseas Bank (IOB), did not grant them the Sanction to prosecute required under Sec 17(A) of the Prevention of Corruption Act. CBI had named three Bank officials of IOB in a hotel grabbing case and told the Delhi High Court that the IOB has denied Sanction to prosecute against the named three bank officials.
The CBI’s affidavits describe the nefarious role of Nalini Chidambaram and her sister late Padmini with the help of three bank officials of IOB in grabbing the hotel, misusing and flouting the banking laws and even trying to bribe the Petitioner in the PIL.
Now the question is why the CBI not registering the case and why IOB under the Finance Ministry is not granting sanctions to prosecute three officials who helped Chidambaram’s family members to grab the Hotel Comfort Inn, Tirupur by misusing the Sarfesi Act.
Reference:
[1] CBI informs Delhi High Court on registering FIR against Chidambaram family and IOB officials in the hotel grabbing case – Feb 26, 2020, PGurus.com
[2] Phone conversation of Nalini Chidambaram exposes her role in hotel grabbing – Apr 27, 2017, PGurus.com
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