india

Updated: Sep 19, 2019 20:22 IST

Former finance minister P Chidambaram on Thursday complained in the Supreme Court that he has not been given even a pillow and a chair in Tihar jail, where he has been lodged since September 5, when the court sent him to 14 days’ judicial custody in the INX media case. His custody was today extended till October 3.

“He doesn’t have a chair in the cell… there is no pillow for the bed, this is causing back pain,” the 74-year-old Congress leader’s lawyer Kapil Sibal told the top court. There were 2-3 chairs outside where wardens etc would sit and I would also sit. Then these were taken away,” Chidambaram added.

The CBI is probing alleged irregularities in the grant of Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance to INX Media for receiving foreign investment to the tune of Rs 305 crore in 2007, when Chidambaram was finance minister in the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government. CBI registered an FIR in the case on May 15, 2017.

One of the counsels appearing for Chidambaram also moved an application seeking regular check-up and adequate supplement diet for his client in jail, asserting that he is facing various ailments and has lost some weight during his jail-term. Sibal requested the court to allow Chidambaram to be medically examined in All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).

“Health of any inmate is of concern. Whatever is permissable in law, would be done by the jail authorities,” Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said.

The court in its order said that the request for chair and pillow shall be considered by the jail superintendent favourably ‘considering the issue of back pain’

Sibal also pleaded the court to let his client meet his family members after the hearing, which was allowed. Chidambaram had earlier moved a bail plea in the Delhi High Court in the case, which will be heard by the court on September 23.

Chidambaram, who was Union home minister as also finance minister during the UPA rule from 2004 to 2014, was arrested by the CBI on August 21 from his Jor Bagh residence