INX Media Case: ED Arrests P Chidambaram After Grilling Him At Tihar Jail

Investigators of the central agency, who arrived at the jail around 8:15 am, were present in the premises for about two hours.

Former Finance Minister P. Chidambaram (PTI)

New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate, on Wednesday, arrested former Finance Minister P Chidambaram at Delhi's Tihar Jail after grilling him for nearly two hours in connection with the INX Media money laundering case. Investigators of the central agency, who arrived at the jail around 8:15 am, were present in the premises for about two hours. They briefly grilled Chidambaram and arrested him under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The central agency will now move court to seek his fresh custody, officials said. Chidambaram's arrest came a day after a special court allowed the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to grill Chidambaram for 30 minutes in connection with the matter to decide on his arrest. A three-member team of ED including Mahesh Gupta, Sandeep Thapliyal, and Dainik Jain had arrived at Tihar Jail to interrogate P Chidambaram, who is lodged in the case which is also being investigated by the CBI. Nalini and Karti Chidambaram, the wife and son of the Congress leader, too reached the jail premises ahead of the interrogation process. Chidambaram is in judicial custody in Tihar Jail since September 5 in a corruption case related to the alleged scam being probed by the CBI and ED. His remand is slated to end on October 17. The case pertains to an FIR registered by the CBI for alleged irregularities in the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance given to INX Media to the tune of Rs 305 crore in 2007 by Chidambaram when he was the Finance Minister. Chidambaram, 74, was arrested by the CBI on August 21 and is lodged in Tihar jail under judicial custody in the corruption case. The ED has filed a criminal case under the PMLA to probe alleged irregularities in the grant of FIPB approval to INX Media group. Chidambaram's son Karti and wife Nalini were also seen at the jail premises in the morning. Karti is also an accused in the case and has been arrested by the CBI in the past.