india

Updated: Nov 02, 2019 02:28 IST

The Delhi high court on Friday denied interim bail to former Union minister P Chidambaram, who is in Tihar jail in connection with the INX Media case, after a board of doctors formed by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) to assess his health concluded that he needn’t be shifted to a sterile hospital ward for treatment of a medical condition he suffers from.

Justice Suresh Kait was informed by solicitor general Tushar Mehta that the 74-year-old senior Congress leader was physically examined on Friday morning by the board and its assessment was that he did not require a sterile environment for treatment.

Reading out the board’s report, Mehta said the doctors also opined that he could be treated as an outpatient who can visit the hospital on a weekly basis. Chidambaram’s surroundings in Tihar should be kept clean and he should be provided home cooked food because of his medical condition, the report said.

Chidambaram sought urgent bail , saying he had been diagnosed in 2017 with Crohn’s disease, an inflammatory bowel disorder that causes inflammation of the digestive tract, which can lead to abdominal pain, fatigue and weight loss. He said he needed to be treated by his regular doctor, Hyderabad-based gastroenterologist Nageshwar Reddy. His defence team said his weight had dropped from 73 kg to 66 kg during more than two months in custody.

After Mehta’s submission, the court denied the bail plea of the Congress politician, who was arrested on August 21 by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and then on October 16 by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the case of alleged irregularities in the grant of Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance to broadcaster INX Media for receiving overseas investment in 2007, when he was finance minister.

Justice Kait also issued a slew of directions to the Tihar jail superintendent to ensure that the surroundings of Chidambaram are clean and hygienic and he is provided home-cooked food and mineral water. He will be provided a mosquito protection net and repellent and his cell will be cleaned twice a day. The court also said that he be given a face mask if required.

The judge ordered regular monitoring of Chidambaram’s blood pressure, and sugar and other medical tests and a weekly hospital visit as an outpatient once a week. The court disposed of the interim bail plea after senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing Chidambaram, said the defence team did not require any further court directive.