Former Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram sent to CBI custody for four days till August 26

New Delhi: After a dramatic sequence of events through the evening that catapulted into the arrest of former Finance Minister P Chidambaram, the senior Congress leader on Thursday was sent to CBI custody for four days till August 26 in the INX Media corruption case by the special CBI Court.

The senior Congress leader was earlier questioned for three hours today at the Central Bureau of Investigation headquarters. He was later produced in court. The agency had asked for five days' custody for his interrogation, claiming that he is not cooperating with the investigation.

As per media reports, Special Judge Ajay Kumar Kuhar heard the arguments of the CBI and Chidambaram's counsel for over one-and-a-half-hour.

Earlier, Officials close to the investigation, requesting anonymity, said that Chidambaram’s formal questioning started after 12 a.m. with CBI Director Rishi Kumar Shukla himself present in the headquarters along with all top agency officials. Most of Chidambaram’s answer have been “ambiguous”, many not “clear” and some “unanswerable”.

Calling attention to the "enormity and gravity" of the offence, the CBI also pointed out that the Delhi High Court rejected the former minister's pre-arrest bail. Serious offence of money laundering of monumental magnitude won't be unearthed unless custodial interrogation is given, the agency argued.

Appearing for Chidambaram, senior Congress leader and veteran lawyer Kapil Sibal argued that the former minister was summoned for questioning only on one occasion and he complied. "How can he be accused of non-cooperation," Sibal said. "This case is completely based on a case diary and a statement of another accused," Congress's Abhishek Manu Singhvi added.

It is the same CBI headquarters building which Chidambaram inaugurated in 2011.

After CBI and ED officials scaled Chidambaram’s Jor Bagh residence walls and arrested the former Union Minister, he was examined by doctors from the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital once he arrived at the CBI headquarters.

The 73-year-old senior leader, the source said, was first offered food by the CBI, which he refused, following which the crucial questioning began -- the list had questions related to the case that included his meeting with Indrani Mukerjea, co-founder of INX Media.

It may be mentioned that Indrani, currently in jail for allegedly murdering her daughter Sheena Bora, has turned approver in the case and the case against Chidambaram and his son Karti Chidambaram has been built on her statement, informed the sources.

It is learnt that Indrani Mukherjea has told the Enforcement Directorate that Chidambaram instructed them to help Karti in his businesses in exchange for the approval for foreign investment to INX Media.

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