INX Media case: Karti Chidambaram sent to Tihar jail after Delhi court grants 12-day judicial custody

A Delhi court on Monday sent Karti Chidambaram to Tihar jail for 12-day judicial custody in the INX Media corruption case, CNN-News18 reported.

Karti Chidambaram heads to Tihar Jail after court grants 12-day judicial custody; denied home food again. | @droynews18 https://t.co/AUh0zOYQ3g

— News18 (@CNNnews18) March 12, 2018

The court, dismissing Karti’s plea for early hearing of his bail application, sent him to judicial custody until 24 March. The CBI produced Karti, son of former Union minister P Chidambaram, in a Delhi court after his three-day police custody expired and sought 15-day judicial custody. News18 reported that Karti’s counsel Dayan Krishan moved an application in a Delhi court seeking a separate jail cell, and stated that since P Chidambaram had taken charge as a home minister  “just after 26/11 Mumbai attacks and had several accused under MCOCA prosecuted, there is an indisputable threat to his life at Tihar jail”.  However, the CBI strongly refuted the plea stating that “there was no threat to Karti” and that he would be taken care of in accordance with jail rules, according to the report.

[caption id=“attachment_4372345” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Karti Chidambaram, son of former union minister P Chidambaram being produced at Patiala House Courts in New Delhi on Thursday. PTI[/caption] Karti was produced in the court of special judge Sunil Rana, before whom CBI counsel VK Sharma moved an application for judicial custody.  However, Karti’s counsel moved the court to hear his bail plea which was listed for 15 March on Monday. Karti’s father P Chidambaram was also present in the courtroom.

Karti was earlier remanded in CBI custody for three days after the investigative agency claimed it recovered some incriminating documents and CDs from the Chennai office of Advantage Strategic Pvt Ltd., a company linked to Karti. Karti was arrested on his return from the United Kingdom in connection with the FIR lodged on 15 May. It alleged irregularities in the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance to INX Media for receiving overseas funds of about Rs 305 crore in 2007 when his father was Union finance minister. The CBI initially alleged that Karti received Rs 10 lakh as bribe for the FIPB clearance. It, however, later revised the figure to $1 million (about Rs 6.50 crore at the current exchange rate and Rs 4.50 crore in 2007). The fresh evidence in the case, which triggered Karti’s arrest, was based on the statement of Indrani Mukerjea, former director of INX Media (P) Ltd, who recorded it under Section 164 of Code of Criminal Procedure before a magistrate on 17 February. With inputs from PTI