Chidambaram in ED custody till October 24

NEW DELHI: A Delhi court on Thursday sent former finance minister P Chidambaram to Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) custody in the INX Media money laundering case till October 24.

Additionally, the court also approved facilities like western toilet, home cooked food and medicine as requested in an application by Chidambaram’s lawyers.

The ED wanted the Congress leader’s remand for 14 days.

On Tuesday, the judge had allowed the ED to question Chidambaram and, if required, arrest him and seek his custodial remand in connection with the case of money laundering.

The ED arrested Chidambaram on Wednesday after questioning him in Tihar jail, where he is already in judicial custody on corruption charges brought by the CBI in the same case.

The ED arrested him under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. An agency official said Rs 3 crore had been paid to his son Karti Chidambaram’s companies by INX Media co-founder, Peter Mukerjea, at the senior Congress politician’s behest.

Chidambaram has been in custody since he was first arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation late on the night of August 21 after a highly dramatic press conference.

The INX Media case dates back to May 2017, when the CBI filed an FIR against the company for violating the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) approval that was given to it and receiving Rs 305 crore of overseas funds in 2007, when Chidambaram was the Union finance minister.