A CBI Court in Delhi will pronounce at 2 PM on Friday its order on the former union finance minister P Chidambaram for surrendering before the Enforcement Directorate in the INX Media case. . It was only a few days ago that the ED had told the apex Court quite vehemently that Chidambaram’s custodial interrogation was very crucial and pertinent though today its counsel told the court of Special CBI Judge Ajay Kumar Kuhar that the ED does not want custodial interrogation of Chidambaram for now and that it would approach the court when it finds that interrogation is necessary.
Chidambaram was arrested by the CBI form his Jor Bagh residence on August 21, and has been under first CBI custody till September 5 and suibsequently under judicial custody. He had filed application for surrendering in the ED case that day itself.
The CBI case relates to corruption allegations regarding FIPB clearance for INX Media’s FDI in 2007 while the ED case is regarding money laundering.
Counsel for Chidambaram Kapil Sibal argued that the ED is employing tactics to keep his client in judicial custody. “Though they the ED has collected the evidence to justify bthe interrogation,, yet they don’t want to to arrest me. And they want to evade arrest just to see me in the custody…they want prolonged custody just to give me punitive measures”.
—India Legal Bureau