INX Media case: 13-day jail for Karti Chidambaram, no special cell for him in Tihar

NEW DELHI: A special CBI court on Monday remanded Karti Chidambaram to judicial custody till March 24. The court refused to entertain an application seeking early hearing of Karti’s bail plea. The bail application will be heard on March 15.

Also, the court declined to award any special treatment to Karti who had requested for a separate prison cell citing security threat. The court, however, ordered that jail manual will be followed.

The court held “the apprehension raised by counsel for accused cannot be ignored keeping in view the social status of the accused and his family, more specifically, his father, who is a former union minister”.


The order said “however, only keeping in view the fact of social status of accused and his father, he cannot be treated different from other accused persons and cannot be allowed to be kept in a separate prison”.

It added “however, lock up in charge and jail superintendent, Tihar Jail, are directed to provide and ensure proper safety and security to accused during the judicial custody, as per rules”.

The CBI on Monday did not seek any further police remand of Karti. The CBI, in its application, said “after conducting searches, incriminating evidence pertaining to the case has been destroyed” by Karti Chidambaram. During the entire period of police custody, Karti remained evasive and noncooperative, it added.

CBI’s application further stated that the agency is conducting the investigation of the case without the cooperation of Karti.

“Therefore, under the circumstances when there is sufficient material clearly implicating the accused in this serious economic offence, it is absolutely necessary that the accused be remanded to judicial custody,” it said.

Proceedings conducted during the police custody of accused have been recorded in the case diary and the same has been produced before the court, CBI said.

His medicines will be subject to the approval of doctors. Speaking to media, Karti said he will emerge triumphant eventually.

Karti was arrested by CBI in connection with the INX media case in which he is accused of influencing the finance ministry officials for obtaining FIPB clearance for Indrani and Peter Mukerjea’s company, INX media.