Relief from ED, but none from CBI Karti not allowed to sleep well: Singhvi
NEW DELHI: With the Central Bureau of Investigation’s custody coming to an end on Friday, and the Delhi High Court giving him protection from being arrested in the same case, Karti Chidambaram, son of former finance minister P Chidambaram, may have fancied his chances of being released, but that wasn’t to be, as a special CBI court sent him to police custody for three more days on Friday.
Karti was arrested by CBI last week in connection with a bribery case involving broadcaster INX Media. Seeking an extension of Karti’s custody by six days — he has already been in custody for 10 days — CBI said it needed to confront him with his chartered account S Bhaskararaman ,who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on February 16 and sent to judicial custody till March 22. The agency also moved an application seeking another confrontation between Karti and former media baron Indrani Mukherjea and her husband Peter Mukherjea, co-founders of INX Media, who are in a Mumbai jail in connection with the murder of the former’s daughter Sheena Bora.
CBI, represented by Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, claimed that in a recently conducted raid at the office of Advantage Strategic Private Limited (ASPL) in Chennai, agency sleuths recovered incriminating material that have been sent for examination.
Karti has been accused by CBI of controlling ASPL. CBI said that the material collected from the raids at previously a “unknown office” points to a nexus between ASPL and him. It was at this point Karti’s lawyer, senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, took on Mehta and said that the “unknown office” raided by CBI is actually the registered office address of ASPL on Nungambakkam High Road in Chennai.
Earlier in the day, the Delhi HC granted Karti interim protection from being arrested by the ED in the same case. NEW DELHI: Karti Chidambaram, son of former finance minister P Chidambaram, is being kept constantly under bright lights, not allowed to sleep and his health is not in a good condition in CBI custody, his counsel Abhishek Manu Singhvi told a special court on Friday.
Singhvi’s allegation came shortly before special judge Sunil Rana remanded Karti to CBI custody for three more days. During the arguments in the court on Friday, Singhvi said Karti’s blood pressure levels were fluctuating as he was not allowed to sleep till 2.30 am. “On one particular night”, the senior counsel said, “Karti was shifted from his cell to another where four guards were present. In a bid to keep Karti awake, the guards were chatting and playing cards.”
Additional solicitor general Tushar Mehta, representing CBI, defended the agency and said there was no effort to keep Karti awake or harass him. “Whenever I meet him, first thing I do is ask about his well being. I ask him how he is doing and if he is comfortable,” Mehta said.
Singhvi produced a medical report that showed 46-year-old businessman’s blood pressure was 140/90, while on March 8 it was 150/100.
Karti’s lawyer also requested the judge to permit home food to be delivered to Karti citing his health condition.
While the court had so far not entertained the request, in Friday’s hearing, the judge finally left the decision with CBI and asked them if they “are fine with allowing the food to be delivered to the accused, then there is no issue”.
Meanwhile, CBI officials speaking to HT on the condition of anonymity, said that Karti was not cooperating in their investigation. “He is evasive when confronted with evidences. He says he is a victim of political vendetta and does not talk,” said a senior CBI official privy to the case.