New Delhi: The judicial custody of former Finance Minister P Chidambaram has been further extended till October 17 by the Delhi court after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) sought and extension of remand in the INX Media case. The CBI also informed the Delhi court bench that a bail plea has been filed by Chidambaram's counsel in the Supreme Court will will decided by the Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi. It is also being learnt that Chidambaram's counsel Kapil Sibal has also filed an application seeking permission for home-cooked food for the senior Congress leader keeping in mind his ailing health.

Three days after the Delhi High Court dismissed his previous bail plea, Chidambaram approached the SC seeking an early hearing on his bail plea in the INX media case. Sibal moved the plea before a bench headed by Justice N.V. Ramana. According to news agency IANS, Justice Ramana said listing of the former minister's plea would be decided by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and forwarded it to him for consideration.

On his ailing health, Chidambaram's counsel said that his health is deteriorating and he has lost 4 kgs as he is not accustomed to the food that is being provided inside the jail. Currently in judicial custody in Tihar Jail, Chidambaram's plea said: "His health is frail. He has been kept in a cell and given food that he is not accustomed to. He has already lost 4 kgs weight in the period of judicial custody."

"Chidambaram has been incarcerated for 42 days including the maximum permissible period of 15 days of CBI custody remand, and therefore, his continuing incarceration is in the form of punishment as his custody can neither be taken nor is required for the purpose of investigation," the bail plea said.

Chidambaram and his son Karti Chidambaram were named in the INX Media case by Peter and Indrani Mukerjea, who are currently in a jail in Mumbai in connection with the murder of Indrani's daughter Sheena Bora. Even the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has filed a money laundering case against Chidambaram.

Seeking bail, Chidambaram challenged the Delhi High Court order and said that the HC judge had incorrectly held that the instant case was an economic offence. The former Minister stated: "The instant case is in fact not an economic offence in so far as the Respondent (CBI) is concerned in as much as there is no loss to the public exchequer in this case.

"No public funds were involved in this case and it also is not a case of bank fraud or taking money out of the country or defrauding depositors or stealing money from a company. On the contrary, Rs 305 crore has come into INX Media (i.e. the investee company) as FDI, well within the approval percentage of 46.216 per cent of equity," read the plea.

Chidambaram also said that the Delhi High Court has declined bail despite categorically holding that he is not a flight risk and would be available for facing trial. His counsel told the court that the former Minister is a law abiding citizen, Rajya Sabha Member, has a reputation to sustain in the society and there is no possibility that he will flee from justice.