P Chidambaram, arrested in INX Media case, sent to CBI custody for 4 days

INDIA Former finance minister P Chidambaram, who was arrested from his Delhi house late Wednesday evening in the INX Media case, has been sent to CBI custody till Monday. The court, however, allowed family members and lawyers to meet Chidambaram for 30 minutes a day. A Delhi Court ordered CBI custody for the senior politician at the request of the federal investigating agency that has accused the former minister of involvement in a decadeold kickbacks case. Chidambaram was brought to the Rouse Avenue court complex around 3 pm after a medical checkup. His son Karti and wife Nalini had arrived much earlier. So did his team of lawyers including senior Congress leaders Kapil Sibal and Abhishek Singhvi. Chidambaram, who had briefly spoken to his lawyers, later moved to the accused box as they waited for the judge, Anil Kumar Kuhad, to start proceedings.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, the government’s second mostsenior law officer, who pitched for CBI custody said the exminister’s responses to investigators were evasive and his custodial interrogation was crucial. “Right to silence is a constitutional right and I have no issue, but he is non cooperative, he was evasive to questioning,” Mehta said, describing the INX Media case as a “classic case of money laundering”. “We are at the pre charge sheet stage and the material is with him... He remained non cooperative,” he said, according to news agency ANI. Kapil Sibal, who asked the court to release Chidambaram on bail, argued that Karti Chidambaram, also an accused in this case, was released on bail in the case and there was no reason to hold his father in custody.

The 73yearold politician was arrested Wednesday, about 90 minutes after he made a surprise appearance before television cameras at the Congress headquarters to rebut criticism that he was on the run. He headed straight home from the media conference from where he was taken away and arrested. The Congress leader’s arrest has triggered sharp attacks on the government led by Chidambaram’s party. Other opposition leaders, right from DMK’s MK Stalin and Trinamool Congress boss Mamata Banerjee, have also spoken against the manner in which the arrests were made. (Hindustantimes)