INX case: P Chidambaram arrested by CBI, taken to HQ for interrogation

New Delhi: A day after the Delhi High Court refused to grant former Union minister P Chidambaram anticipatory bail in a case of money laundering, a team of lawyers representing Chidambaram led by Kapil Sibal knocked the Supreme Court’s door twice in an attempt to file an anticipatory bail plea on his behalf.

Multiple lookout notices have been issued against him throughout the day by both CBI and the ED when he was not found.

In a dramatic turn of events, he turned up on Wednesday evening at the AICC headquarters in New Delhi for a press conference, followed by Kapil Sibal and other senior leaders. At the press conference, P Chidambaram cleared himself of any and all allegation that have been pitted against him by the CBI and ED.
CBI officials have scaled the walls of P Chidambaram’s residence in order to get inside and arrest Chidambaram.

Here are LIVE updates:

10:03 pm: P Chidambaram brought to CBI headquarters.

09:57 pm: Karti Chidambaram on P Chidambaram apprehended by probe agencies: This is a totally politically motivated witchhunt.

09:55 pm: CBI Director, top officials reach CBI headquaters.

09:52 pm: CBI team leaves P Chidambaram's residence.

09:47 pm: P Chidambaram detained and taken away in a car by probe agency officials.

09: 09 pm: Taking to twitter, Karti Chidambaram said that he had been raided by CBI four times in the past and had been investigated for hours, yet no chargesheet was filed against him. 

09: 00 pm: In a Tweet, P Chidambaram's son, Karti Chidambaram, calls the entire situation a ''political witch-hunt.''

08:59 pm: The officials of Enforcement Directorate also arrive at Chidambaram's residence.

08:54 pm: CBI officials jump over the wall of Chidambaram's residence in Jor Bagh to get into his home. Nearly 20 officials jumped over the wall as the gates had been closed.

08:28 pm: P Chidambaram leaves the AICC headquarters.

Delhi: #PChidambaram leaves from AICC headquarters. Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) have issued a Look-Out Notice against him.pic.twitter.com/I0QyPDLw31

— Deccan Chronicle (@DeccanChronicle) August 21, 2019

08:21 pm: He also said that he was aghast that he was accused of hiding from the law. "On the contrary, I was seeking protection of law. My lawyers tell that cases will be listed on Friday. I bow down to orders of SC. I respect law even if it is applied with an unequal hand by probe agencies."

08:19 pm: Defending himself against the claims pitted against him he said, "In last 24 hours much has happened,that has caused concern to some and confusion to many. In INX Media case, I've not been accused of any offence nor any one else including any member of my family. There is no chargesheet filed by either ED or CBI before a competent court."

08:17 pm: Former finance minister P Chidambaram at the press conference said that, "I believe that the foundation of a democracy is liberty, most precious article of the constitution is Article 21 that guarantees life and liberty. If I'm asked to choose between life and liberty, I will choose liberty."

08:15 pm: P Chidambaram arrived at All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters on Wednesday evening. He was followed by Kapil Sibal, Ghulam Nabi Azad, and Ahmed Patel among others.

#WATCH Congress leader #PChidambaram arrives at AICC headquarters in Delhi. pic.twitter.com/2jZGHb4kW5

— Deccan Chronicle (@DeccanChronicle) August 21, 2019

04:35 pm: Congress leader P Chidambaram’s lawyers Kapil Sibal, Salman Khurshid & Vivek Tankha were present before the CJI Ranjan Gogoi’s Constitution Bench when the Ayodhya Bench was rising for the day, but did not mention urgent listing of interim bail case, reported ANI.

03:49 pm: News agency PTI has reported that P Chidambaram's lawyers assemble in CJI's court room where Ayodhya hearing is going on; likely to mention his plea again.

02:30 pm: Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi still in Ayodhya hearing, meanwhile top court refuses to urgently list Chidambaram's plea for bail.

01:30 pm: Enforcement Directorate issues fresh lookout notice for P Chidambaram in connection to the INX Media case, reported News18. Officials said the alert notice against the Congress leader, whose anticipatory bail was cancelled on Tuesday, has been sent to all land, air and seaports and law enforcement agencies at these facilities. It says the ED should be alerted in case the person is found on their premises.

Read | INX Media case: ED issues lookout circular for Chidambaram

01:24 pm: Special Leave Petition (SLP) filed by P Chidambaram has certain defects, as a result of which the Supreme Court registry is not in a position to clear it for a mentioning before the Supreme Court.

01:01 pm: Rahul Gandhi took to Twitter to criticise the government's move to arrest former Finance Minister P Chidambaram.

Modi's Govt is using the ED, CBI & sections of a spineless media to character assassinate Mr Chidambaram.

I strongly condemn this disgraceful misuse of power.

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) August 21, 2019

Read | INX Media case: Priyanka cries foul, CBI team visits Chidambaram's residence

11:26 am: Enforcement Directorate (ED) issues lookout notice against Congress leader and former Finance Minister.

10:42 am: Supreme Court Judge, Justice NV Ramana, sent the file of P Chidambaram’s plea seeking interim bail before Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi to pass the order.

10:30 am: Senior lawyers Kapil Sibal, Salman Khurshid and Vivek Tankha are inside the courtroom.

10:15 am: Special Leave Petition (SLP) filed in Supreme Court by lawyers of P Chidambaram seeking interim relief against Tuesday's order of the Delhi High Court cancelling Chidambaram's anticipatory bail plea.

“None of the three grounds to deny bail were made by the HC: there is no allegation that the petitioner is likely to flee justice; or that the petitioner is likely to influence the witnesses; or that the petitioner is likely to tamper with the evidence,” said the petition filed by Chidambaram.

09:37 am: On being asked 'how do you see the CBI action?’, senior lawyer and Congress leader Salman Khurshid said, “Extremely unfair.”

09:30 am: Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala tweeted, "India witnesses worst kind of virulent vendetta by Modi Government as the BJP runs a police state. Judge reserves judgement for 7 months and delivers it 72 hours before retirement, CBI/ED are sent to raid as a respected former FM is hounded. Banana Republic?"

09:25 am: Congress leader Jairam Ramesh has seconded Priyanka Gandhi in vouching for Chidambaram's credibility, as has worked closely with him since 1986.

08:30 am: Priyanka Gandhi Vadra tweeted in support of the senior Congress leader, alleging that he was being "shamefully hunted down" for speaking the truth.

08:10 am: Senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh condemned the CBI action and said that this is nothing but 'political vendetta'.

07:40 am: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) team leaves for the residence of P Chidambaram.

Read | Chidambaram not to be seen as CBI team arrives at his residence yet again

04:45 am: Arshdeep Singh Khurana, Chidambaram’s lawyer said, “He has been permitted by Supreme Court to mention the urgent Special Leave Petition against the order before Court at 10:30 am on Wednesday. I, therefore, request you not to take any coercive action against my client till then and await the hearing at 10:30 am.”

Read | INX media case: 'Can one appear on such short notice?' asks Chidambaram's lawyer

Chidambaram's lawyer has asked the Central Bureau of Investigation under what law his client has been told to appear within two hours in an alleged corruption case. "I am instructed to state that your notice fails to mention the provision of law under which my client has been issued a notice to appear within two hours," said Arshdeep Singh Khurana, Chidambaram's lawyer, according to news agency ANI.

Chidambaram has been questioned several times in the case, which involves alleged kickbacks received by his son Karti Chidambaram in exchange for allowing INX Media, a television company, to receive foreign funds to the tune of Rs 305 crore in 2007.