INX case: P Chidambaram arrested after ED probe in Tihar

New Delhi: Former Congress leader P Chidambaram was arrested on  Wednesday by a three-member team of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) after an hour-long interrogation.

The ED team arrived at Tihar jail on Wednesday morning to interrogate former union minister P Chidambaram in connection with the INX Media money laundering case, before taking a final call on his arrest.

Nalini and Karti Chidambaram, the wife and son of the Congress leader, too reached the jail premises ahead of the interrogation process.

Officers of ED who arrived at Tihar Jail to interrogate P Chidambram are Mahesh Gupta, Sandeep Thapliyal, and Dainik Jain.

This came after a special court here on Tuesday allowed the law enforcement agency to grill Chidambaram for 30 minutes in connection with the matter.

Special CBI Judge Ajay Kumar Kuhar had allowed the ED to interrogate the Congress leader and arrest him if deemed necessary.

The court had also directed Tihar Jail authorities to make necessary arrangements and provide a secure place to interrogate Chidambaram in the prison.

The special judge gave the directions based on a plea filed by the ED seeking permission to arrest the senior Congress leader in the case.

Meanwhile, the court also dismissed the application moved by the lawyer of Chidambaram challenging the court's earlier order of the production of the senior Congress leader.

In his application, Chidambaram had stated that a warrant issued on Friday for seeking his production for arrest and remand for investigation was illegal and contrary to the rules.

Chidambaram is currently in judicial custody in Tihar Jail in a corruption case related to the alleged scam being probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). His remand is slated to end on October 17.

The case pertains to an FIR registered by the CBI for alleged irregularities in the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance given to INX Media to the tune of Rs 305 crore in 2007 by Chidambaram when he was the Finance Minister.

ED is investigating the alleged offence of money laundering that arose out of the FIR.

 

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