INX Media Case: P Chidambaram Sent To 4-Day CBI Custody

INX Media Case: P Chidambaram is expected to be produced before a special CBI court today at 2 pm, where the agency will seek his remand.

New Delhi: Congress leader and former finance minister P Chidambaram is being taken to court by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officials in the INX Media money laundering case, in New Delhi, Thursday, Aug 22, 2019. (PTI Photo)

INX media case: Former Finance Minister P Chidambaram, who was arrested by the CBI Wednesday night from his residence in connection with INX media corruption case amid high drama, was produced in a special CBI court in Delhi this afternoon, which sent him on a four-day CBI remand till August 26. The CBI has sought 5-day custody of the former finance minister. Special Judge Ajay Kumar Kuhar asked the agency to conduct medical examination of Chidambaram as per the rules. The court also allowed the family members and lawyers of Chidambaram to met him for half an hour every day during the CBI custody. "Considering the facts and circumstances, I am of the view that police custody is justified," the judge said and remanded him to CBI's custody till August 26. A team of four senior lawyers - Kapil Sibal, Vivek Tankha, Abhishek Manu Singhvi along with his wife Nalini and son Karti were already present in the court before his arrival. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, for CBI, told Special Judge Ajay Kumar Kuhar that Chidambaram was in conspiracy with others in the INX Media scam. Mehta also said "Chidambaram is not co-operating in the probe and has been evasive in replies.", a charge refused by Chidambaram's counsel Kapil Sibal.

Abhishek Manu Singhvi in Court: Non cooperation is if probe agency calls me five times and I don’t go, non cooperation is not giving the answer they like to hear. They called P Chidambaram once, and he went. Where is non cooperation? (ANI)

— ABP News (@ABPNews) August 22, 2019

Singhvi opposed custodial interrogation of Chidambaram saying no allegation of tampering of evidence made by CBI. Special Judge Ajay Kumar Kuhar heard the arguments of CBI and Chidambaram's counsel for over one-and-a half-hour. Earlier, Chidambaram was put up in "Lock-up suite 3" of the CBI building, which was inaugurated by him in 2011. The 73-year-old was the Home Minister of the Congress-led UPA government then. The doctors from the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital conducted a medical examination on P Chidambaram at the CBI headquarters this morning. The report of this medical examination would have to be produced before the respective magistrate. CBI will be seeking maximum custody - 14 days from the presiding judge to interrogate him further. The CBI which was looking for 73-year old Chidambaram since Tuesday after his anticipatory bail application was rejected by the Delhi High Court managed to get a whiff of his location only when he appeared on camera at the Congress headquarters in the evening to make a press statement. Rejecting reports of his evading the law, he told reporters that the charges against him and his son were "nothing further from truth". Karti dubs Chidamabaram's arrest politically motivated P Chidambaram's son Karti lashed out at the CBI for arresting his father in the INX media case, saying it was a "totally politically motivated witch-hunt". Karti further blamed the ruling government saying that this is being done just to divert attention from the issue of Article 370. "This is a totally vindictive and malicious act, done by a pliant agency. This is only done to settle political scores. There was absolutely no necessity to have done this," Karti said. "This has been done only to create a spectacle on TV & to tarnish the image of Congress party & the former Finance&Home Minister. This is completely trumped-up case in which he has absolutely no connection. We will fight this out politically & legally," he added. WATCH | INX Media Case: Know all about the case  The series of development so far • Flanked by senior Supreme Court lawyers and party colleagues Kapil Sibal and Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Chidambaram said he was working with his lawyers through the Tuesday, preparing his papers for his bail application, which was filed before the Supreme Court earlier. • The sleuths rushed to the party office, but by the time they reached, Chidambaram had already left for his residence 115-A in Jorbagh, a 10-minute distance from the party office, in a luxury sedan accompanied with his lawyers and party colleagues -- Singhvi and Sibal. • Leaving no stones unturned to avoid an embarrassing situation of Tuesday when the agency failed to locate him at his bungalow, the CBI team made a strong presence today with about two dozens officers swarming the place. • With a big media contingent beaming live images of the developments, the CBI team first knocked the gates to gain entry but finding no response, they nimbly scaled the nearly five-ft high walls to gain entry. • Once three officers reached inside, they opened the gates to allow entry to other team members waiting outside. Soon a team of officers, identifying themselves as from D, too arrived at the scene. • A team of about two dozen officials remained on guard at the bungalow when Chidambaram was inside with Sibal and Singhvi. • After completing arrest formalities, the CBI team had to wade through Congress supporters who had gathered outside raising slogans against the agency. • Some supporters jumped on the white car in which Chidambaram was being taken to the agency headquarters. • Delhi Police personnel were also posted to prevent any adverse law and order situation. • The agency had been seeking Chidambaram's "custodial interrogation" in the case pertaining to alleged irregularities in the grant of foreign investment clearances to INX Media when he was the finance minister. • They said Chidambaram was summoned last year for questioning in the case but he remained evasive in his responses. • The Delhi High Court on Tuesday refused to grant P Chidambaram any protection from arrest by rejecting his plea seeking anticipatory bail. • Swinging into action after the high court order, a team of CBI officers had landed at the Jor Bagh residence here to locate him but he was not present. • The agency officials returned after pasting a notice at his residence on Tuesday night asking him to be present before the investigation officer of the case within two hours. Chidambaram did not appear before them. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has listed Chidambaram's petition on Friday without giving him any interim relief in the matter. The CBI had registered an FIR on May 15, 2017, alleging irregularities in the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance granted to the INX media group for receiving overseas funds of Rs 305 crore in 2007 during Chidambaram's tenure as finance minister. Thereafter, the ED lodged a money laundering case in this regard in 2018. (with inputs from PTI)