ED's application to arrest PC allowed with modifications

A Delhi court on Tuesday allowed the Enforcement Directorate to interrogate former Finance Minister P. Chidambaram and arrest him, if deemed necessary, in the money laundering case relating to INX Media.

The order was passed by special CBI Judge Ajay Kumar Kuhar while dealing with the application filed by the Enforcement Directorate seeking permission to arrest the former Finance Minister.

"Application for arrest of accused is being treated as an application for interrogation in the present case and is being allowed accordingly," the court ruled.

The court also turned down the application filed by Chidambaram challenging the order of the court by which the court had issued production warrant against him.

Chidambaram in his plea had stated that the production warrant issued on Friday for seeking his production for purposes of arrest and remand for investigation is "illegal and contrary to the rules laid down by the Delhi High Court".

Turning down the said application, the court said, "The prayers in this application for recall or cancellation of the production warrant issued by this court cannot be allowed for two reasons; firstly, the production warrant were issued by this court being the jurisdiction court of the case in which he was in custody and secondly, under the Criminal Procedure Code the courts exercising criminal jurisdiction have no power to recall any order passed by it.."

The court further said that the remedy against the said order available with the accused was to challenge it in a superior court.IANS