Twitter
Advertisement

INX Media case: Court sends P Chidambaram to CBI custody for 4 days

Probe agency tells court it needs to question him till August 26

Latest News
article-main
P Chidambaram being taken from CBI HQ to the Rouse Avenue Court for hearing in INX Media case in Delhi on ThursdaY
FacebookTwitterWhatsappLinkedin

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has got four-day custody of Congress leader P Chidambaram, who was arrested on Wednesday night from his Jor Bagh residence here amid high drama, in the INX Media corruption case.

Special Judge Ajay Kumar Kuhar heard the arguments of the CBI and and the former union minister's counsel for over one-and-a-half hours before sending to CBI custody till August 26. The agency had sought his custody claiming he was not cooperating with them in the probe.

"Considering all facts... police custody of Chidambaram is justified," the judge said. The court has allowed Chidambaram's lawyers and family to meet him for half an hour every day.

The agency said Chidambaram's custodial interrogation was necessary to unearth the larger conspiracy in the case. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the court that custodial interrogation was required to get certain questions answered for effectively probing "a grave offence".

Chidambaram's lawyer Kapil Sibal said he had been arrested on Wednesday night but interrogated only at 11 am on Thursday. He said Chidambaram was asked 12 questions of which he had already answered six before.

Sibal told the court that Chidambaram never skipped interrogation. "Investigation is complete as draft charge sheet is ready. Sanction was sought. The FIPB approval is given by six government secretaries, none have been arrested. This is a case of documentary evidence. He has never skipped interrogation," Sibal said. 

The first arrest in the case was of Bhaskar Raman, the chartered accountant of Chidambaram's son Karti, who is out on bail, Sibal said. Former media moguls Peter and Indrani Mukherjea, co-accused in the case, are also are in jail in connection with another case, he said.

Besides Sibal, senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi also appeared for Chidambaram. "Non-cooperation is if the probe agency calls me five times and I don't go, non-cooperation is not giving the answer they like to hear. They called Chidambaram once and he went. Where is non-cooperation?" he argued.

Chidambaram said before the court, "Please look at the questions and answers, there are no questions which I have not answered, please read the transcript. They asked if I have a bank account abroad, I said no. They asked if my son has an account abroad, I said yes."

Amid heavy security arrangement at the courtroom, Chidambaram's family, including wife Nalini and son Karti, who is a co-accused in the case, were beside him. The CBI refused to allow Chidambaram to speak to his granddaughter Aditi in the court.

Need His Custody 

CBI says only doing duty to question accused
Chidambaram was arrested at his New Delhi home on Wednesday night after CBI agents jumped over the wall of his house when they found the gates closed
Allegations in the case centre around the role of Chidambaram, his son Karti and several former government officials, in approving the foreign direct investment in INX Media firm in 2007
The Central Bureau of Investigation says the approval was illegal and that it was a case of ‘abuse of power’

The solicitor general told the court there were reasonable grounds for Chidambaram's custody since he was evasive in his replies. "Right to interrogate is my [CBI's] duty, duty to the nation under the Code of Criminal Procedure. We are merely seeking court's permission to interrogate the accused further," Mehta argued, terming it "a monumental case of money laundering".

Last year in April, Karti, Chidambaram spent 23 days in CBI and judicial custody. He said his father's arrest was nothing but an attempt to silence the government's most vocal critic.

CBI had registered an FIR on May 15, 2017, alleging irregularities in the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance granted to INX Media group for receiving overseas funds of Rs 305 crore in 2007 when Chidambaram was finance minister.

In 2018, the ED lodged a money laundering case.

Find your daily dose of news & explainers in your WhatsApp. Stay updated, Stay informed-  Follow DNA on WhatsApp.
Advertisement

Live tv

Advertisement
Advertisement