CBI court sends Chidambaram to Tihar jail in INX media case

New Delhi: A Delhi court Thursday sent former finance minister P. Chidambaram to judicial custody in Tihar jail till 19 September in the INX Media corruption case.

Special Judge Ajay Kumar Kuhar, who presided over the hearing, allowed the Congress leader to carry his medicines to jail.

Chidambaram’s CBI custody, ordered by the special court in five spells and which started after his arrest on 21 August, ended Thursday.

Chidambaram’s counsel had opposed the CBI plea for judicial custody, and said that he was ready to be taken into Enforcement Directorate (ED) custody in the money laundering case linked to the INX Media scam. The Delhi High Court had on 20 August denied Chidambaram’s anticipatory bail plea in the case.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, who is representing Chidambaram, had pressed for ED custody.

“There is nothing found against me. There is no charge sheet. They say I am a powerful and influential. But they have no evidence. There is no evidence of tampering with evidence. Has a witness said anything like that?” Sibal argued on the Congress leader’s behalf.

Chidambaram was brought to the special court after he withdrew his petition challenging the non-bailable warrant (NBW) issued against him, following which he was sent to CBI custody.

The apex court also decided against Chidambaram’s appeal against the Delhi High Court’s order denying him a pre-arrest bail in the ED case.

Hours after the apex court order, another special court granted Chidambaram and his son Karti anticipatory bail in the Aircel Maxis cases.

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