'IT Department charges against Karti Chidambaram, others baseless'

Chennai, May 12 (IANS) The Income Tax (IT) Department charges against the family members of former Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram are baseless, their chartered accountant said on Saturday.

In a statement, R. Balachandran said he was the chartered accountant for Karti P. Chidambaram, Srinidhi Karti Chidambaram and Chess Global Advisory Services Private Ltd. He said the returns of income filed by the family members of Chidambaram are a complete answer to the "baseless allegation".

Karti Chidambaram retweeted the statement.

Balachandran said: "The income tax returns are prepared on the advice of the chartered accountants. The investments in question were made through bank remittances. They were duly disclosed in the returns of income filed under Section 139 of the Income Tax Act for the relevant assessment year.

"It is totally wrong to allege there was a wilful failure to disclose the investments. The returns of income are a complete answer to the baseless allegation. The compliant by the Income Tax Department against my clients will be opposed in accordance with law."

The IT Department on Friday filed four criminal complaints here in a court charging Nalini Chidambaram (wife of former Finance Minister), Karti Chidambaram, Srinidhi Karti Chidambaram and the company Chess Global Advisory Services for non-disclosure of immovable properties in the UK and in the US to the tax authorities.