CBI indiscriminately targeting eminent bankers: Chidambaram

"CBI has received the ultimate certificate from the one who has the best ring-side seat, the Finance Minister (on leave): 'Adventurism and megalomania have overtaken investigators'!" he said on Twitter.

"Glad that the FM's conscience and legal acumen have finally stirred to condemn the indiscriminate targeting of eminent bankers (in cases where the allegations are about thousands of crores of rupees)," he added.

"They were in slumber when there was indiscriminate targeting of distinguished IAS officers and others (in cases where the allegations are about small sums of money)," he said.

The CBI has named Chidambaram in the Aircel-Maxis case in which a number of IAS officers have been named in the chargesheet, said reports.

Jaitley had criticised the CBI for planning to question eminent bankers such as K.V. Kamath in the Chanda Kochhar case.

Jaitley, in a post on Facebook, had slammed the CBI for naming the "who's who of the banking industry" without concentrating on the "bull's eye" in the case.

On the day the CBI had filed an FIR against Kochhar and others in the ICICI case, Jaitley wrote: "There is a fundamental difference between investigative adventurism and professional investigation.

"Adventurism leads to media leaks, ruins reputations and eventually invites strictures and not convictions. In the process, the targets are ruined because of harassment, loss of reputation and financial costs. It costs people their career," Jaitley wrote on January 25. "One of the reasons why our conviction rates are poor is that adventurism and megalomania overtakes our investigators and professionalism takes a back seat."

"My advice to our investigators – Follow the advice of Arjun in the Mahabharat – Just concentrate on the bulls eye," he had added.

Jaitley is current in the US undergoing medical treatment. Piyush Goyal has been given additional charge of the finance department during the time Jaitley is unable to carry out his official responsibilities.