Delhi court dismisses PC’s plea to surrender in INX Media case

New Delhi, September 13

A Delhi court on Friday dismissed a plea by former finance minister P Chidambaram, lodged in Tihar Jail in the INX Media corruption case, seeking to surrender in the money laundering case.

Special judge Ajay Kumar Kuhar junked his plea.

The Enforcement Directorate had on Thursday told the court that Chidambaram’s arrest was necessary in the INX Media money laundering case and it would do so at an appropriate time.

Chidambaram’s counsel had contended that the ED’s submission is mala fide and intended to make him suffer.

Chidambaram, 73, is already in judicial custody in the INX Media corruption case being probed by the CBI.

The ED had told the court that since Chidambaram was already in the judicial custody in the CBI case, he was not in a position to tamper with the evidence.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Chidambaram, had said that the ED had come to the Congress leader’s house to arrest him on August 20 and 21 but now they did not want to do so just to ensure that he remained in judicial custody.

Mehta had argued that certain aspects were required to be probed before his custodial interrogation.

The agency required to interrogate six people before his custodial interrogation and it was investigating money laundering which reached beyond this country, he had said.

He had contended that the accused could not guide the probe and the order to take him in custody right now would curtail the discretion of the probe agency. PTI