New Delhi: In yet another setback for P Chidamabaram, a Delhi Court on Friday rejected the plea of former Finance, who is currently lodged in Tihar Jail in the INX Media corruption case, seeking to surrender before the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The decision means that Chidambaram will continue to remain in Tihar jail under judicial custody following his arrest by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the INX Media corruption case. According to reports, Special Judge Ajay Kumar Kuhar junked his plea.

ED had recently told the Court that Chidambaram's arrest was necessary in the money laundering case and it will do so at an appropriate time. However, Chidambaram's lawyers had contended that the ED's submission was intended to 'make him suffer'. In his plea, Chidambaram sought to surrender before ED and face questioning by the federal investigating agency.

Chidambaram, 73, is already in judicial custody in the INX Media case being probed by the CBI. Countering his plea, ED had told Court that since Chidambaram was already in judicial custody in the CBI case, he was not in a position to tamper with the evidences.

Senior lawyer Kapil Sibal, appearing for Chidambaram, had said that ED had come to the Congress leader's house to arrest him on August 20 and 21, but now they do not want to do so just to ensure that he remains in judicial custody.

The agency needs to question six people before his custodial interrogation and it was investigating money laundering which reaches beyond this country, lawyer representing ED case told Court. He also argued that there were certain things yet to be probed before his custodial interrogation.

On September 5, Mr Chidambaram was sent to 14-day judicial custody in the corruption case by the CBI till September 19. On the same day, the court had issued a notice to the ED on Chidambaram's plea seeking to surrender in the money laundering case lodged by the agency in which the Supreme Court had dismissed his plea against the August 20 order of the Delhi High Court denying him pre-arrest bail.

The CBI had filed a First Information Report (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 Mr Chidambaram's tenure as the finance minister.