New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday arrested former Finance minister P. Chidambaram after questioning him for two hours in Tihar jail.
Chidambaram has been in judicial custody since August 21 for his alleged involvement in irregularities in granting of Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) approval to INX Media during his term as Finance minister.
According to the ED officials, he has been arrested under sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and will be produced before the court later in the day.
Officials said that the ED will demand Congress leader's custodial interrogation to confront him with the evidences gathered in the case so far.
They said he will be asked questions related to kickbacks received by shell companies allegedly floated by his son Karti Chidambaram.
The ED has earlier informed the court that it had identified about two dozen foreign bank accounts, which were used to park kickbacks received from illegal favours granted by the former minister.
The officials said the financial probe agency was in possession of several email exchanges indicating communication between front companies where both senior and junior Chidambaram were the beneficiary owners.
CBI opposes Chidambaram's bail plea in SC
New Delhi: The CBI told the Supreme Court Wednesday that former finance minister P Chidambaram, arrested in the INX Media corruption case, had tried to "pressurise and influence" key witnesses in the past and a "strong prima facie" case has been made against him. Opposing the plea filed by the senior Congress leader seeking bail in the case, the CBI told a bench headed by Justice R Banumathi that they have "cogent material" about how Chidambaram had tried to influence witnesses. It further said that the impunity with which he had abused the high office of finance minister for "personal gains" disentitles him from getting the relief.
