New Delhi: Former Finance Minister and senior Congress leader, P Chidambaram was on Wednesday night arrested by the CBI amidst the high drama, where officials had to scale the walls of his Jor Bagh home to enter the premises and take him into custody.
Investigative agencies sprung into action after the Supreme Court of India closed for business on Wednesday. Earlier in the day, the Apex court had denied an urgent hearing to Chidambaram's Special Leave Petition (SLP), seeking protection from arrest in the INX Media case.
Officials here said that Chidambaram was arrested based on an arrest warrant issued by a competent court. Sources here said that a Rouse Avenue court here had issued the arrest warrant for the former Finance Minister, in the INX case.
While, the court referred the matter to the CJI, which lawyers say will now be heard on Friday, Chidambaram was seen in public for the first after the Delhi High Court denied him bail in the case. The veteran Congress leader arrived at the AICC headquarters here, where he delivered a short statement and left.
He emphasised that he was not evading the law and that he was trying to get the law's help in this matter. He added he that had not been named in the FIR or its contents and that the CBI was yet to file a charge sheet in the case against him.
A CBI team missed Chidambaram by minutes at the AICC headquarters. However, when he reached his Jor Bagh residence, CBI and ED teams were not being allowed to enter. The drama escalated to a point where officials from both agencies had to scale the wall to enter the premises.
At least three teams from CBI and one from ED were at the residence assisted by at least 20 Delhi Police officials.
The Enforcement Directorate had issued a Look Out Circular (LOC) against Chidambaram on Tuesday, and so did the CBI.
As soon as the Apex court opened on Wednesday, Chidambaram's lawyers approached the senior-most judge as directed and tried to ask for an urgent hearing to get their client protection from arrest and a stay on the Delhi High Court order that denied him anticipatory bail in the case.
However, given the "magnitude" of the case, the court forwarded the matter to the CJI.
As Chidambaram's lawyers went into a huddle trying to get the matter formally listed in the docket, the SC registry cited some "defects" with Chidambaram's SLP, saying the error might come in the way of listing the matter.
In the SLP, Chidambaram's lawyers asked whether he can be denied bail even when he is not named in the FIR or its contents, and when he has fully co-operated with investigators.
The petition asks whether the High Court was right in considering only the case diary and select questions where Chidambaram allegedly gave evasive answers while denying him bail.
Chidambaram's petition also notes that all other arrested accused in the case have already been granted bail.
Lawyers later in the day said that the Apex court would not hear the matter until Friday morning, thus allowing agencies time till then to arrest Chidambaram.
However, the sitting Congress Rajya Sabha MP had not been seen since he left court premises on Tuesday. Chidambaram did not return to his Jorbagh residence, where a six-member CBI team visited just hours after the Delhi High Court lifted his arrest shield.
The CBI team arrived at the residence once again after 11:15 pm to paste a notice outside the house, ordered the former Finance Minister to join the investigation within two hours of receiving it and also sent it to his email address.
Sources here said that Chidambaram has not joined the investigation and that no fresh summons has been issued to him as of yet.