New Delhi: A Delhi court 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 will 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 is already in judicial custody in the INX Media corruption case being probed by the CBI.
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 ED had come to the Congress leader’s house to arrest him on August 20 and 21 but now they do not want to do so just to ensure that he remains in judicial custody.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta had argued that certain aspects were required to be probed before his custodial interrogation.
The agency requires to interrogate six persons before his custodial interrogation and it was investigating money laundering which reaches beyond this country, he had said.
He had contended that the accused cannot guide the probe and the order to take him in custody right now will curtail the discretion of probe agency. (PTI)
