The Delhi High Court on Thursday said that senior Congress leader P Chidambaram, who is currently in Tihar jail in connection with INX Media case, will be served the same food as everyone.
Reportedly, the Delhi High Court which was hearing a regular bail petition filed by the former Finance Minister Chidambaram said that the accused will be getting the same treatment as any other jail inmates.
“Same food is available for everyone,” said Justice Suresh Kumar Kait after Chidambaram’s counsel Kapil Sibal requested the court that home-cooked food be allowed to his client in jail.
Responding to the court’s remark, senior Congress leader and Supreme Court advocate Sibal said, “My Lords, he is 74 years old.”
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta then responded to Sibal statements, “Even Chautala(INLD leader Om Prakash Chautala) is old and is a political prisoner. As a state, we cannot distinguish anyone.”
During the course of hearing, P Chidambaram’s counsel Kapil Sibal argued that the offences against his client have only seven years of imprisonment. He further argued that the charges of section 420 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) cannot even be made out as he has no role.
Refuting Sibal’s claims, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said, “We are at the pre-chargesheet stage. Petitioner was arrested on August 21, the offences were committed in 2007. Chidambaram was involved in corrupt practices.”
Enquiring about the delay, the court asked Sibal why did he not approach the court when Chidambaram was sent to judicial custody on September 5. However, Sibal stated that there were holidays in between.
“When you can approach the Supreme Court, the same day, then why are you coming so late?” the judge added.
After the arguments, the court reportedly issued a notice to the CBI seeking its response to the plea and scheduled the next hearing on September 23.
In the bail plea, apart from his age, Chidambaram’s counsel had also mentioned 9 different physical ailments he is reportedly suffering from. The ailments include Dyslipidemia, Coronary ArteryDiseasee, Hypertension, Glycemia, Prostatomegaly, and Crohn’s disease.
Apart from mentioning his old age of 74, #PChidambaram, in his bail plea before the #Delhi High Court, has cited 9 diseases he suffers from.
His two petitions, one on bail and another to quash the judicial remand proceedings, will be heard by Justice Suresh Kait tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/GFdeBm0wVw— Utkarsh Anand (@utkarsh_aanand) September 11, 2019
The Congress-era Finance Minister P Chidambaram is currently lodged in Tihar jail after the court sent him to 14-day judicial custody in the INX Media case. As soon as he was locked up in the jail, his lawyers had filed an application in the Delhi court in which they had demanded certain facilities for Chidambaram. The long list of ‘VVIP’ demands had included a western toilet as Chidambaram cannot sit on the ground, according to his lawyers.
In a desperate bid to save P Chidambaram from going to Tihar jail, his counsel had moved an application in Court stating that P Chidambaram wants to surrender in Enforcement Directorate case. However, former Union Minister P Chidambaram was sent to judicial custody at Tihar Jail till September 19, 2019.
Chidambaram was arrested on August 21 by the CBI after a prolonged drama where he had gone into hiding for over 24 hours after his anticipatory bail plea was rejected by the Delhi High Court.
