INX Media Case : CBI Court Seeks Chidambaram's Production In ED's Plea For Custody [Read Order]

Special CBI Court on Monday issued a production warrant against P Chidambaram in an application filed by Enforcement Directorate seeking his custody in the INX Media case.

Issuing the production warrant against the former Union Minister, Special judge Ajay Kumar Kuhar asked the Tihar jail authorities to produce him before it at 3 pm on October 14.

Chidambaram is currently in Tihar jail following his arrest in the INX Media corruption case lodged by the CBI. His judicial custody in the CBI case will lapse on October 17.

Appearing for the ED, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and Special Public Prosecutor Amit Mahajan told the court that Chidambaram's custody was required to seek information about some overseas shell companies and 17 bank accounts. Further it was submitted that since 06.09.2019, around 12 persons have been interrogated and hence the agency deems it appropriate to seek the custody of P Chidambaram.

It was also highlighted by the SG that both the Delhi High Court and the Supreme Court, while hearing the plea for anticipatory bail of the accused, had noted the importance of custodial interrogation in the present case. SG argued that the custodial interrogation is required to unravel the proceeds of crime which have been parked in the foreign countries. 

The court had earlier dismissed Chidambaram's plea for surrendering in the money laundering case after the ED said it would seek his custody when required.

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

The CBI had arrested Chidambaram on August 21 after the Delhi High Court had dismissed his anticipatory bail plea on August 20 in the INS Media corruption case.

The CBI had registered an FIR on May 15, 2017, alleging irregularities in the clearance granted by the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) to the INX Media group for receiving overseas funds of Rs 305 crore in 2007 during Chidambaram's tenure as the finance minister.

The Enforcement Directorate subsequently had lodged a money laundering case in this regard in 2017. 

On September 5, the Supreme Court had dismissed his plea for anticipatory bail in the case registered by ED.

Also, the Delhi High Court had on September 30 denied him regular bail in the CBI case, against which Chidambaram has moved the Supreme Court.

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