Former finance minister and Congress leader P Chidambaram was on Wednesday night arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) from his Jor Bagh residence in New Delhi, an hour after he made a dramatic appearance at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters. He was taken to the CBI headquarters. Chidambaram earlier appeared at a press conference almost 24 hours after going “incommunicado” in the wake of the Delhi High Court turning down his anticipatory bail plea in connection with the INX Media scam case. At the press conference, Mr Chidambaram said he was not hiding from the law. “I was aghast that I was accused of hiding from the law… I was pursuing the law,” he said. “I was working alongside my lawyers for the whole of last night… and the whole day
Minutes after his appearance, teams from both the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate arrived at his posh Jor Bagh residence. In unprecedented drama, CBI officials scaled the wall of his house to gain access.
Amid protest by Congress workers outside his house, Chidambaram was taken to the CBI headquarters, a building he inaugurated several years ago. He will be produced in the CBI court on Thursday morning.
The operation was conducted by three CBI teams, supported by the Delhi Police. Paramilitary force CRPF was stationed outside the house.
Chidambaram is accused of facilitating foreign investment in the INX Media company in 2007, as Finance Minister in the Congress-led UPA government, at the instance of his son Karti Chidambaram, who allegedly received kickbacks for his role.
Since Tuesday evening, the CBI has visited his residence in Delhi twice and two lookout circulars — meant to stop him from leaving the country — were issued by the agency as well as the Enforcement Directorate.
–India Legal Bureau
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