In what could be a first of many, the CBI arrested P Chidambaram in connection with the illegal FIPB clearance given to INX Media

The vanishing act of crooked and corrupt former Finance and Home Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram for over 24 hours did not help him escape the custody of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). After the dramatic turn of events on Wednesday, CBI sleuths arrested him. CBI and Enforcement Directorate (ED) sleuths reached Chidambaram’s Jor Bagh home soon after he reached after appearing in the All India Congress Committee (AICC) office after 27 hours of the disappearance. The unlimited bag of tricks of PC ran dry with the Supreme Court not taking up Delhi High Court’s Justice Sunil Gaur’s Order quashing his interim bail. Chidambaram and friends surfaced in the AICC Office around 8 PM and tried to re-enact a two-decade-old drama like that of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) Chief late Karunanidhi’s arrest. Unlike Karunanidhi, Chidambaram did not go kicking and screaming, when sleuths picked him.

There are different versions in Delhi about where exactly Chidambaram was hiding from August 20 evening onwards till he surfaced in the AICC office on August 21 night. Some say he hid at Sonia Gandhi’s residence, 10 Janpath which borders the AICC office, with a special path to the party office. Some say, he hid at lawyers Kapil Sibal and Abhishek Singhvi’s home. Some say, he stayed at some friendly lady’s home, for whom Chidambaram managed a Padmashri in 2013. This businesswoman living at Golf Links Road is considered as a Chidambaram Benami and a good friend.

Chidambaram was exposed in the Aircel-Maxis scam by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy in April 2012 and Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) raid in December 2014 in connection with Aircel-Maxis scam at Chidambaram’s home and Karti’s companies exposed the INX-Media scam. The bribery in INX Media’s Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance was found by ED’s Investigating Officer Rajeshwar Singh, who also unearthed Chidambaram family’s illegal assets in 14 countries and 21 foreign bank accounts ranging up to three billion dollars. PGurus have reported this in detail in an article titled ‘Chidambara Rahasya’[1].

In the INX-Media case, Chidambaram is expected to be confronted with his co-accused turned approver Indrani Mukerjea and other accused.



On Thursday, Chidambaram will be produced before the trial Court or Duty Magistrate by afternoon or evening and the CBI will seek 14-day custody. Except in terror-related cases, agencies will be allowed to keep an accused up to a maximum of 14 days in their custody.

In Chidambaram’s INX Media case, soon after CBI custody, ED will also arrest Chidambaram and seek 14 days custody. Then he will be kept in Judicial custody (in jail) by the trial Judge, till he gets bail. During Judicial Custody, the agencies need Judge’s clearance to question him.

In the INX-Media case, Chidambaram is expected to be confronted with his co-accused turned approver Indrani Mukerjea and other accused. Either the agencies may take Chidambaram to Mumbai jail where Indrani is kept or Indrani and another accused her husband Peter Mukerjea will be brought to Delhi.

Confronting with Indrani and Peter will be a nightmare to Chidambaram who demanded many sleazy things from them apart from accepting Rs.5 crores bribe in son Karti’s companies.

References:

[1] Chidambara Rahasya – Details of huge secret assets and foreign bank accounts of Chidambaram family – Mar 15, 2017, PGurus.com