Never been involved in administration of Ziqitza: Karthi

Does a tweet on reports of corruption deserve a possible penalty of three years imprisonment? The answer seems to be yes, at least according to Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram’s son Karti (in picture). He filed a complaint against businessman Ravi Srinivasan with the Puducherry police, which charged Mr. Srinivasan under Section 66-A of the IT Act, 2008.

Karthi Chidambaram, who was named among others >in a case of alleged irregularities registered by CBI in the award of an ambulance service contract to Ziqitza Health Care by Rajasthan Government in 2010, on Saturday said he was never been involved in the administration of the company.

“I was an independent non-executive director of Ziqitza only till February 24, 2012. I had never been involved in the administration of the company”, Mr. Karthi, son of former Union Minister P. Chidambaram, told PTI here.

“I was an independent director (Ziqitza) only till February 2012. Never was a shareholder. Many international funds have invested in the company and are represented in the board. Kirit Somaiya, who made the allegations, has been sued by the company,” he said.

Mr. Karthi said he had never held any share in the company at any point of time. The company has other independent directors who continue in their position.

“It is pertinent to note that Ziqitza is a company wherein reputed international and Indian Funds have invested — Acumen Fund, Emergency Medical Services Corporation, HDFC, IDFC to name a few. These funds also take an active part in the Board of the Company, he said.

CBI had on Friday re-registered FIR of the state police naming former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, former Union Minister Sachin Pilot, Karthi Chidambaram, Ravi Krishna among others as accused.

The investigating agency had also carried out searches at the office of Ziqitza Health Care in Jaipur and Mumbai against which a case has been registered.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje had asked the Centre last year to order a CBI probe into the scam.

Rajasthan Police’s FIR, filed in June last year immediately after BJP returned to power in the state, has named Mr. Gehlot and alleged directors of the company Pilot, Karthi Chidambaram, Ravi Krishna (son of former Union Minister Vayalar Ravi), Ziqitza Health Care, its Director Sweta Mangal, the then Health Minister of the state Duru Mirza and the Director National Rural Health Mission.