P Chidambaram sent to 14-day judicial custody, will go back to Tihar jail

india

Updated: Oct 30, 2019 16:47 IST

A Delhi court on Wednesday sent Union finance minister P Chidambaram to 14-day judicial custody in the INX Media money laundering case being probed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). This means that the Congress leader will go back to Tihar jail for the next 14 days.

The court had last week sent the former minister to ED custody till October 30 and in today’s hearing the Enforcement Directorate sought only one-day custody. But, the judge decided to send him to judicial custody instead.

The Congress leader has also moved Delhi High Court seeking interim bail on health grounds, two days after he was taken to AIIMS for gastrointestinal health complications.

Citing medical reasons, Chidambaram has sought high court’s permission to consult and get examined by his regular doctor at the Asian Institute of Gastroenterology (AIG) in Hyderabad.

Two investigating agencies -- ED and the CBI -- are probing corruption and money laundering aspects of the INX media case, respectively. The former minister has already been granted bail by the Supreme Court in the CBI case.

The court had last week allowed the ED to extend Chidambaram’s remand till October 30. Chidambaram, 74, is under the ED’s custody. He was arrested by the CBI on August 21 in the corruption case and by the Enforcement Directorate on October 16. Chidambaram’s petition argued that his arrest by the ED on the grounds that he was evasive was a “specious” reasoning.

The initial case was registered on May 15, 2017 alleging irregularities in a Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance granted to the INX Media group for receiving overseas funds of Rs 305 crore in 2007, during Chidambaram’s tenure as finance minister.