Former finance & home minister P Chidambaram arrested by CBI
New Delhi, August 21, 2019 : After a 30-hour drama, former finance and home minister P Chidambaram was finally arrested by the CBI. The arrest sword was hanging on Chidambaram after the Delhi High Court on Tuesday rejected his anticipatory bail. He also tried his best to get relief from the Supreme Court and remained underground till then. But given the delay in getting relief from the Supreme Court and the allegations of going underground due to fear of the law, Chidambaram decided to come forward and immediately the team of CBI and Enforcement Directorate (ED) reached his residence and took him into custody. After his arrest, Chidambaram will now have to apply for a fresh bail.
After not getting relief from the Supreme Court, P. Chidambaram finally gave a clarification by press conference at the Congress headquarters and assured to face the law. As soon as Chidambaram reached his home in Jorbagh, the CBI and ED team reached there and arrested him. However, due to the presence of media and Chidambaram supporters, the CBI team had to face difficulties in going inside Chidambaram’s house. After reaching the wall, they somehow got inside and started questioning Chidambaram.
Team of 30 officers reached Chidambaram’s house
Seeing the high profile drama, a team of about 30 CBI officials were present at Chidambaram’s house. Seeing the interrogation and arrest of a big leader like Chidambaram, the CBI dispatched a Joint Director level officer. Not only this, Delhi Police was called to handle the situation. After the heavy presence of Congress workers outside Chidambaram’s house and shouting slogans, the Delhi Police faced a lot of trouble. After medical examination at RML hospital, Chidambaram will be kept in lock up at CBI office and then produced before a special court on Thursday.
CBI and ED released Look Out Circular
In fact, both the CBI and the ED agencies were trying to arrest Chidambaram immediately after the Delhi High Court rejected the anticipatory bail and did not get relief from the Supreme Court. For this, the team of CBI and ED also reached his home in Jorbagh and also served a notice to appear for questioning. But in the hope of getting relief from the Supreme Court on Wednesday morning, Chidambaram preferred to remain underground. Turned off the mobile, leaving the security personnel and the car. The team of CBI and ED kept questioning their driver, but nothing was known. The CBI and ED, which has faced criticism in the case of Vijay Mallya, Nirav Modi and Mehul Chowki, also issued a look-out circular so that Chidambaram could not leave the country.
Advance bail period increased by 27 times
Actually P Chidambaram had been postponing arrest for a long time in the INX Media case. ED and CBI started calling him for questioning in early 2018 after registering FIR in March 2017. But Chidambaram had already taken anticipatory bail from the trial court in view of the possibility of arrest. The CBI and the ED kept calling him again and again and he continued to extend the period of anticipatory bail. In this case, the trial court extended his anticipatory bail 27 times. The ED and CBI challenged the anticipatory bail in the High Court and finally on Tuesday, the efforts of the investigating agencies were successful and the security cycle of advance bail granted to Chidambaram came to an end.
What are the allegations against P. Chidambaram?
During his tenure as Finance Minister, the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) approved two ventures. The CBI had filed an FIR on May 15, 2017 in the INX Media case. It alleges that during the tenure of Chidambaram, there were irregularities in the FIPB clearance granted to the media group to receive foreign funds of Rs 305 crore in 2007. After this, the ED had filed a case of money laundering in this regard last year.
What is INX Media Case?
The INX Media case is linked to the approval of the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) in 2007 for the money received by INX Media. Former finance minister P. Chidambaram is also named in this high-profile scam worth Rs 305 crore. The CBI and ED are investigating in the case how P. Chidambaram’s son Karti Chidambaram got approval for INX Media from the Foreign Investment Promotion Board in 2007, while his father was finance minister. In the CBI and ED’s investigation, it was found that INX Media directors Peter Mukherjee and Indrani Mukherjee had met P. Chidambaram to get approval from the Foreign Investment Promotion Board, so that there is no delay.
