INX Media case: CBI Court remands P Chidambaram to ED custody till October 24

The Special CBI Court at Rouse Avenue Court Complex today remanded former Union Minister P Chidambaram to police custody till October 24, in the case filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED)..The Court has also extended the judicial custody of Chidambaram in the case filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) till October 24..The ED today sought 14 days’ remand of Chidambaram in the INX media case..Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the agency, submitted before Special Judge Ajay Kumar Kuhar that the agency has gathered material to back the request for remand..Mehta argued that the Supreme Court recognised the need for custodial interrogation in the case. Moreover, the agency has also gathered material to warrant custodial interrogation. This material is different and separate from the material collected by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Mehta added..Since an offence under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) is made out, 14 days’ custody of Chidambaram is required, Mehta submitted..Senior Counsel Kapil Sibal, arguing for Chidambaram, opposed the demand for 14 days’ custody, pointing out that the ED had earlier refused to take Chidambaram into custody when he had offered to surrender..This point was rebutted by Mehta, who argued that the offer to surrender was refused by the ED given that the agency wished to examine some witnesses. The last witness was examined on October 9, he said..Strongly objecting to the request for 14 days’ remand, Sibal asked why no questions were put to Chidambaram during his time under judicial custody or why witnesses who were available to the agency all this while were examined only after September 5..In the event that the ED is granted judicial custody, Sibal sought certain facilities during the custody period. These facilities include lodging at CBI headquarters or other such facility with air conditioning, security, home-cooked food, medicines, spectacles and family visits..Mehta told the Court that he was not opposed to the request for home cooked food, medicines, spectacles, family visits et al. However, demand for an AC room would be a departure from the norms, he said. Mehta added that Chidambaram’s security will be taken care of..The INX Media case pertains to the alleged irregularities in the Foreign Investment Promotion Board clearance to INX Media at the time when P Chidambaram was the Finance Minister. It is the case of the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) that P Chidambaram and his son Karti Chidambaram received illegal gratification from INX Media owners Peter and Indrani Mukherjea for the clearance..The CBI had arrested P Chidambaram on August 21 after his anticipatory bail plea in the case was rejected by the High Court..Chidambaram, who spent a fortnight in police custody after his arrest, was thereafter remanded to judicial custody. His plea for regular bail was rejected by the Special CBI Judge sitting at the Rouse Avenue Court Complex in Delhi. Later, bail was denied by the Delhi High Court as well.