Court extends CBI custody of Chidambaram till Tuesday

A court here on Monday extended, by a day to Tuesday, the CBI custody of former Finance Minister and senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram in the INX Media case.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Central Bureau of Investigation, told the court that they would be seeking one more day of custody.

"I am pushing for this because they (Chidambaram's lawyers) are having objections to judicial custody. On the basis of what happened in the Supreme Court at 2 p.m., I am pushing for only one day CBI remand," Mehta said.

However, his move was objected by Chidambaram's counsels Abhishek Manu Singhvi and Kapil Sibal. 

Special CBI Judge Ajay Kumar Kuhar then extended Chidambaram's CBI custody in the INX Media case till September 2. Chidambaram, till date, has spent 11 days in CBI custody since his arrest on August 21. 

Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court, after high-decibel arguments betwween Chidambaram's lawyers and the CBI, ordered that Chidambaram remain in CBI custody in the INX Media case and not be sent to the Tihar Jail until the court hears his plea. The court was to hear the matter again on Thursday, but modified its order to have the next hearing on Tuesday on the Solicitor-General's insistence.IANS