ED arrests P Chidambaram under PMLA in INX Media case

Armed with the go-ahead from a Delhi court, the Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday (October 16) arrested former finance minister P Chidambaram at the Tihar jail in connection with its probe in the INX Media money laundering case, officials said. The arrest was preceded by grilling of the senior Congress leader.

They said the ED investigating team followed due procedure after a local court here on Tuesday allowed it to interrogate the senior Congress leader and arrest him, if necessary, in this case.

Investigators of the central agency, who arrived at the jail around 8:15 am, were present in the premises for about two hours before effecting the arrest under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The central agency will now move court to seek his fresh custody, they said.

Chidambaram, 74, was arrested by the CBI on August 21 and is lodged in Tihar jail under judicial custody in the corruption case.

The ED had filed a criminal case under the PMLA in 2017 to probe this deal of alleged irregularities in the grant of FIPB approval to INX Media group.

INX Media got its FIPB (foreign investment promotion board) approvals in 2007-08 when Chidambaram was serving as the Union finance minister. It is alleged that this approval was not legal and agencies have charged Chidambaram with committing corruption and money laundering by taking kickbacks from promoters of the media group, Indrani and Peter Mukerjea, through his son Karti.

The FIPB was scrapped by the Modi government in 2017.  P Chidambaram has spent about 55 days in CBI and judicial custody till now after he was arrested on August 21 in this case.

The ED had told the court on Tuesday that it requires custodial interrogation of P Chidambaram in this case.

Chidambaram’s son Karti and wife Nalini were also seen at the jail premises in the morning.

Karti is also an accused in the case and has been arrested by the CBI in the past.

(With inputs from agencies)