New Delhi: Former Finance Minister P Chidambaram has been arrested after unprecedented scenes were witnessed on Wednesday night at his residence with a CBI team scaling the wall and roof of his residence to gain access to the ‘elusive’ leader.
With Chidambaram's arrest in INX media money laundering case, his bail plea before the Supreme Court has become infructuous. He will now have to seek regular bail from the CBI court.
He was ferried to the CBI headquarters and will be kept there during the night. The high drama was witnessed minutes after Chidambaram arrived from the Congress headquarters where he had addressed a press conference.
Even as the CBI team was thumping on the gates of his residence, a team of Enforcement Directorate also joined the scramble to arrest the senior Congress leader.
Chidambaram was cooped up inside his house since his return from the press conference and was taking a last-minute briefing from a battery of lawyers, including Kapil Sibal and Abhishek Manu Singhvi.
Earlier, Chidamabaram, who surfaced at the Congress headquarters after remaining "missing" for 27 hours, claimed that he will walk with his head held high and wait for the Supreme Court's decision on his plea on Friday.On Wednesday morning, the Supreme Court refused an urgent hearing on his request for anticipatory bail.
In his petition before the top court, the former minister argued that his antecedents are "impeccable" and there is no possibility of him "fleeing from justice". Requesting more time to appear before the CBI, he had sought interim relief, saying else, he would suffer "irreparable loss".
Earlier in the day, the ED and the CBI had issued a Look out Circular against the former finance minister, alerting all airports to prevent Chidambaram from boarding a flight.
The CBI has been seeking Chidambaram's "custodial interrogation" in a case pertaining to alleged irregularities in the grant of foreign investment clearances to INX media when he was the finance minister.
"My father was fully compliant with the law. There is a judicial process. We will eventually be vindicated," Karti Chidambaram said.
On being asked who is to blame for the drama, Karti said, "Yes, of course, all of this is being done by the BJP. Who else? You think Donald Trump? No."
