Karti Chidambaram, the son of P. Chidambaram, the former Finance Minister of India and an accused in the INC Media scam, criticised his father’s arrest and said it is an act to settle a political score.
Karti Chidambaram, on the 22nd of August, addressed the media and said, “This is a totally vindictive and malicious act done by a pliant agency. This is only done to settle political scores. There is absolutely no necessity to have done this. It has been done only to create a spectacle on television and to tarnish the image of the Congress party, and to tarnish the image of the former Finance and Home Minister. This is a completely trumped up case in which he has absolutely no connection whatsoever. This is being done only for political reasons.”
The Indian National Congress (INC) leaders also criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the arrest.
On the 21st of August, the Supreme Court (SC) refused to hear the petition filed by P. Chidambaram and forwarded it to the Chief Justice of India (CJI,) Ranjan Gogoi. Later, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) issued a lookout notice for Chidambaram, who was said to be absconding.
P. Chidambaram was missing since the afternoon of the 20th of August, after the Delhi High Court rejected his plea for anticipatory bail and protection from arrest.
However, around 9:45 P.M., on the 21st of August, the CBI arrested P. Chidambaram at his Jor Bagh residence in Delhi.
According to sources, P. Chidambaram, on the evening of the 21st of August, went to the Indian National Congress (INC) headquarters and discussed the matter with his legal team. He also said he was planning his legal defence and was ready to face the law. After visiting the headquarters, P. Chidambaram left for his residence, where the CBI arrested him.
On the other hand, the legal team of P. Chidambaram, Abhishek Sanghvi, Kapil Sibal and Salman Khurshid, tried to get an urgent evening hearing, which was in vain. The SC registrar, after discussing with the CJI, fixed the hearing date as the 22nd of August.
CJI Ranjan Gogoi will review the petition on the 22nd of August. Until then, P. Chidambaram will remain in the custody of the CBI.
Stay tuned for further updates.
