With PTI inputs

Congess senior leader P. Chidambaram's CBI custody was extended by four days in the INX Media case today.

Special judge Ajay Kumar Kuhad said the CBI’s demand was justified. “Investigation is the prerogative of the investigating officer, which he has to conduct within the framework of law,” he said.

Chidambaram was produced in court today on the expiry of his four-day CBI remand that started on August 22. He will now be in CBI custody till August 30.

Solicitor-general Tushar Mehta and additional solicitor-general K.N. Nataraj, representing the CBI, said there was sufficient ground for extension of Chidambaram's custodial interrogation as he was confronted with a co-accused from August 23-26. The confrontation with the co-accused was not complete, the prosecutors said, and placed before the court a file containing email exchanges between the accused.

A PTI report late in the night said that CBI had confronted Chidambaram with former NITI Aayog CEO Sindhushree Khullar.

Khullar was the additional secretary in the department of economic affairs from April 11, 2007, to September 11, 2008, at the time alleged irregularities in the INX Media case happened. She was promoted as special secretary in the department and remained on the position from September 12, 2008, to November 2, 2008.

Today, she arrived at the CBI headquarters in the morning but the questioning could not be completed as Chidambaram had to be produced in the special court, CBI officers said. Khullar refused to comment on the matter.

Earlier in the day, Congress leaders and Supreme Court lawyers Kapil Sibal and Abhishek Manu Singhvi argued for Chidambaram’s bail, but failed.

The court had rejected his petition challenging a Delhi High Court order which had earlier dismissed his anticipatory bail plea in the same corruption case. Justices R. Banumathi and A.S. Bopanna said that his plea had become “infructuous” as he had already been arrested by the CBI.

“The petitioner is at liberty to work out his remedy in accordance with law. The contentions raised by both the parties are left open to be considered at the appropriate stage,” the apex court order said.

Sibal accused the government of sensationalising the case and turning it into a media trial. He also said that the high court’s order dismissing the anticipatory bail plea was influenced by a note submitted by the ED in a sealed cover.

Chidambaram wasn’t given a notice of those allegations in the note, Sibal said.

He alleged that the high court judgment copied the ED note verbatim, “comma to comma, full stop to full stop, word to word.” He said that there was no application of mind by the high court judge.

Chidambaram’s other petition for anticipatory bail in the case filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) was heard by the bench after lunch on Monday. It was argued that ED’s only case is that Chidambaram isn’t cooperating. Sibal said that the ED claimed there was cogent evidence against Chidambaram but also said they were yet to unearth it.

In a relief, Chidambaram was extended the interim protection from arrest until the hearing of the case on Tuesday when the bench assembles at noon. The same bench had provided him interim protection from arrest on August 23 until Monday.

The corruption allegation against Chidambaram goes back to 2007 when he was the finance minister.

In May 2017, the CBI had registered a case alleging irregularities in the clearance given to the INX Media group by the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) to receive overseas funds of around Rs 305 crore.

Chidambaram’s son Karti, the MP from Sivaganga in Tamil Nadu, was accused of receiving reciprocal benefits from the media house while Chidambaram was accused of approving the FDI.

The registration of the case by the CBI led to raids on premises of Chidambaram and his son. The same month, May 2017, the ED too filed a case of money laundering in the matter.

On August 20, Delhi High Court called it a “classic case of money laundering” and dismissed the anticipatory bail plea filed by Chidambaram, calling the Congress leader the “kingpin' in the case.

The Supreme Court will also hear the petition filed against the remand order passed by the CBI special judge on Tuesday.