Congress-era union minister P Chidambaram will go back to Tihar jail for the next 14 days as a Delhi court on Wednesday rejected his interim bail plea on health grounds and ordered to extend the judicial custody until November 13, in connection with INX Media case.
The Special Court in Delhi on October 23 had extended P Chidambaram’s judicial custody by a week till October 30 in the money laundering case related to INX Media company. He was allowed western toilet, home-cooked food, medicines and a separate cell during his stay in the jail.
In today’s hearing, the Enforcement Directorate sought only one-day custody. But, the judge decided to send him to judicial custody instead.
After spending Diwali in Tihar jail, the UPA stalwart was reportedly shifted to AIIMS, New Delhi on October 28, after his health deteriorated. The 74-year-old former finance minister was taken to the premier medical institution after he had complained of stomach ache. His condition was found to be stable by the doctors at AIIMS, and he was discharged from the hospital after spending some time there.
The Congress leader has also moved Delhi High Court seeking interim bail on health grounds, two days after he was taken to AIIMS for gastrointestinal health complications. Citing health reasons, Chidambaram had sought the high court’s permission to consult and get examined by his regular doctor at the Asian Institute of Gastroenterology (AIG) in Hyderabad.
Representing Chidambaram, counsel Kapil Sibal in the court argued that the veteran Congress leader was ailing from multiple diseases, including dyslipidemia and irritable bowel disease. He also claimed that Chidambaram has lost considerable weight and his health was rapidly deteriorating in Tihar jail. However, the court extended his judicial custody maintaining that he could be shifted to AIIMS if his health deteriorated.
On October 5, P Chidambaram was taken to AIIMS after he complained of stomach ache. However, he was brought back to Tihar Jail the same evening. P Chidambaram was held up in Tihar Jail since September 5 this year in the INX Media scam in which both CBI and ED have been probing his role in the case.
The former Union Minister was arrested by the CBI P Chidambaram on August 21 on the charges of misusing his position as finance minister under UPA regime and granting several clearances to INX Media company which had received overseas funds of Rs 305 crore in 2007, during Chidambaram’s tenure as finance minister.