NEW DELHI: P Chidambaram, former finance minister and a top leader of the opposition Congress party, has been accused formally of corruption by the CBI today and will stand trial in what is known as the Aircel-Maxis case once the chargesheet is cleared by the judge. The CBI named Mr Chidambaram, 72, in a chargesheet filed in a Delhi court today, hours ahead of a no-trust vote against Prime Minister Narendra Modi which he is placed to win easily. The Congress is among the opposition parties backing the no-trust vote. Calling the allegations "preposterous", Mr Chidambaram said the CBI had been "pressured" to file the chargesheet.
Here are the 10 latest developments in this big story:
1. The CBI says that as finance minister in the government of Dr Manmohan Singh, Mr Chidambaram misused his office to clear foreign investment deals in exchange for which his son, Karti Chidambaram, was given kickbacks.
2. Mr Chidambaram has described the charges against his son and him as retribution for his persistent vocal criticism of PM Modi and his policies. He has said all investment approvals granted during his tenure were above board.
3. "CBI has been pressured to file a charge sheet to support a preposterous allegation against me and officers with a sterling reputation. The case is now before the Hon'ble Court and it will be contested vigorously. I shall make no more public comment (sic)," he said in a tweet today.
4. The CBI says that in 2006, Mr Chidambaram sanctioned the sale of telecom Aircel to Malaysia's Maxis without following due process. Today's chargesheet will be reviewed by a judge on July 31.
5. Karti Chidambaram had already been named as an accused in the case in an earlier chargesheet filed by the Enforcement Directorate last month. A chargesheet outlines the investigating agency's early evidence against those it wants tried in court.
6. Karti Chidambaram, 46, had been arrested in February on charges of money-laundering in the same case but was then granted bail.
7. Today's chargesheet names a total of 18 people including the Chidambarams and former and current government officials.
8. The Chidambarams won an appeal this month that prevents their arrest, till August 7, on charges of money-laundering the alleged kickbacks paid for the Aircel clearance.
9. The Chidambarams are accused of similar corruption in a deal dating to 2007 when foreign investment go-ahead was given to INX Media, then owned by Indrani and Peter Mukerjea, who are now both in jail on charges of murdering her daughter from a previous relationship.
10. In May last year, the CBI raided locations in Mumbai, Delhi, Gurugram and Chennai, including the residence of Mr Chidambaram's son Karti.