P Chidambaram to remain in Tihar jail till Sept 19 as CBI court dismisses his surrender application

Special CBI Judge Ajay Kumar Kuhar today dismissed former Union minister P Chidambaram’s surrender application, in connection with the Enforcement Directorate (ED) case filed against him in the INX Media case.

Chidambaram will now have to stay in Tihar jail for the remaining period of his judicial custody till September 19. Arguments were made yesterday by both counsels, in regards to Chidambaram’s surrender application. SG Tushar Mehta, appearing for the ED, argued that the investigating agency did not currently want to conduct the custodial interrogation of Chidambaram since it was currently interrogating six other people in connection with the case. Mehta told the court that the ED would approach the court at an “appropriate time” to take Chidambaram into custody.

Mehta had also pointed out that an accused could not direct an investigating agency to arrest him at a given time. He said this right remained with the investigating agency itself.

Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Chidambaram, told the court that this interrogation of six people, cited by ED, was an afterthought and a tactic to ensure that Chidambaram was kept in judicial custody for the full period, and upon his exit, the ED would move in to arrest him.

On September 5, the same Special CBI Court had sent Chidambaram to judicial custody for a period of 14 days i.e. till September 19. That morning, the top court had also rejected Chidambaram’s plea seeking anticipatory bail in the ED case.

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