P. Chidambaram has been arrested by the CBI after a long stint with central investigative agencies, the former finance minister P. Chidambaram was finally arrested by the CBI on Wednesday night. The CBI will present at the Rouge Avenue Court between 2 pm and 4 pm today. If sources are to be believed, the investigating agency will seek the custody of Chidambaram from the court. Sources said that the investigating agency is again questioning Chidambaram. The Congress is aggressive on this development. It has organized protests today.
Conspiracy to divert attention from issues:
Congress held a press conference at 10:30 in the morning. Party spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said that in the last two days, the country has witnessed the killing of democracy in broad daylight. Modi government has pushed agencies like ED and CBI to take personal revenge. The bias with which former Finance and Home Minister P. Chidambaram was arrested has proved to what extent the Modi government can fall for the political vendetta. BJP has failed to lift the country from recession. Millions of people are becoming unemployed. Every sector is affected by the recession. This conspiracy has been hatched to divert attention from these issues.
Congress said in its press conference at 10:30 in the morning that democracy is being killed in broad daylight. The Modi government is taking action against the former Finance Minister of the country with a vengeance. Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said that there is no evidence against Chidambaram. Government wants to divert attention from the issues.
- Karti Chidambaram: I have never met Peter Mukherjee and Indrani Mukherjee in my life. I saw Indrani Mukherjee when the CBI confronted her during her interrogation. I have never had any interaction with people directly or indirectly with his company.
- Kapil Sibal: Sibal said that it is a matter of great concern for us as members of the legal fraternity. It is also a matter of concern as citizens. All we wanted was a hearing, instead of saying that the presiding judge said that I am sending the file to the CJI. Is no citizen entitled to a hearing…
- Karti Chidambaram: Karti Chidambaram, son of former Finance Minister P. Chidambaram, reached Delhi from Chennai. He has said that the Congress party is being targeted, not my father. I will go to perform at Jantar Mantar. My father has been arrested for diverting attention from the issue of Article 370.
- Satya Pal Singh: Satyapal Singh, MP of Baghpat said that Chidambaram Ji had been the Union Finance and Home Minister. He is an intellectual and knows the law. He should not have behaved in this manner following a court order. Had he surrendered earlier, his honor would have survived.
- Salman Khurshid: Salman Khurshid said that it is deeply sad that all this happened. There was no accountability to the law in this. The case is listed for Friday, should have waited until the Supreme Court to see what it wants to do.
INX Media Case Highlights:
Sitting in front of Karti can be interrogated According to
official sources, CBI can summon Karti Chidambaram face to face for questioning. The ED has already requested the court to allow the father-son custody to be questioned. For this, the agency had cited complicated transactions and bribes in the above cases. Sources said the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has also extended the scope of the investigation into the money laundering case against the former finance minister.
Four other cases are also under suspicion, sources said, adding that the ED suspected that he had an alleged suspected role in granting illegal FIPB clearances in at least four more business deals, besides INX Media and Aircel Maxis. Not only this, crores of rupees were allegedly taken through many shell companies. The investigating agency is investigating the role of the former finance minister in at least four cases of illegal FIPB clearance. These cases are related to Diageo Scotland Limited, Katara Holdings, Essar Steel Limited, and El Forge Limited
Did not do anything wrong, was falsely implicated:
P. Chidambaram appeared in front of the media at the Congress headquarters around 27 hours later Wednesday evening. He termed the news of hiding as false and said that those who have the disease of lying were promoting this falsely. During the last twenty-four hours, he was preparing a legal petition with his lawyers to ‘seek justice’. Chidambaram said, there is no case against him in the INX Media case. Nor is he named in the FIR, but he has been falsely implicated in the politics of vengeance. They have full faith in law and if they had to choose someone in life and freedom, they would choose freedom.
Rahul-Priyanka said, the character abuse done with the help of agencies, the top leadership of Congress has come down in support of its veteran leader. Rahul Gandhi has accused the government of abusing Chidambaram by abusing power. At the same time, Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said that Chidambaram has been exposing the failures of power without fear, which is why the government is shamefully following him. In the wake of the CBI-ED’s hyperactivity against Chidambaram, senior Congress leaders have begun to consult on the strategy of the political battle in addition to the legal battle.
Indications were found on Tuesday that P. Chidambaram ‘s anticipatory bail petition from the Delhi High Court was dismissed on Tuesday. Since then, the sword of arrest was hanging on former home minister Chidambaram. He tried his best to get relief from the Supreme Court. Not only this, he finally came to the fore after all the attempts failed, amid allegations of staying underground for more than 24 hours after the bail was rejected.
Arrest for half an hour, then arrest. As soon as he comes in the press conference at the Congress headquarters, the CBI and Enforcement Directorate (ED) teams reach his residence and interrogate him for half an hour and then get arrested. He was taken to CBI headquarters and also underwent medical. In view of the interrogation and arrest of a big leader like Chidambaram, CBI sent a Joint Director level officer. Chidambaram will now have to apply for a fresh bail in the trial court.
In the INX Media case, FIPB clearance of foreign investment of only four crores was given. After this, Indrani Mukherjee and Peter Mukherjee brought in foreign investment of 305 crore rupees. The officials of the FIPB and Income Tax Department had caught the mess and started taking action, but in the meantime, Indrani Mukherjee met P. Chidambaram through Hyatt Regency in Delhi through Karti Chidambaram. Indrani Mukherjee, a government witness, said in her statement recorded before the magistrate that P. Chindabaram instructed her to get in touch with Karti. After this, money was paid to companies associated with Karti and P. Chidambaram got the FIPB stamp on investment in INX Media.
