INX MEDIA CASE

Karti sent to Tihar till March 24, denied separate cell, books

karti-patiala-pti Karti Chidambaram at Patiala House Court in connection with the INX Media money laundering case, in New Delhi on Monday | PTI

A futile last ditch effort was made by Karti Chidambaram on Monday when he cited grave threat to his safety and security in Tihar jail, by virtue of being the son of P. Chidambaram, former finance minister and sitting member of Rajya Sabha. It was a day of loss for Karti Chidambaram who was sent to judicial custody in the INX Media case till March 24 by the special CBI court on Monday. The court has also disallowed Karti from carrying books, clothes and personal toiletries to jail, after a plea made by his counsel seeking permission for the same was declined by the special judge Sunil Rana.

All that Karti will be carrying are his spectacles and medicines as he left for Tihar jail where he will now be lodged with fellow prisoners without any special facilities being extended to him. P. Chidambaram was present in the court when the judge announced his order.

Karti’s counsel pleaded to the Special CBI court that he may be lodged in a separate jail inside Tihar as he may face threats from under trials and fellow prisoners. Karti’s plea was that since his father dealt with various stringent penal laws like TADA, MCOCA, UAPA (Unlawful Activities Prevention Act) and NDPS (Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances) Acts and many of these prisoners are facing prosecution under the same laws, he may face a threat from them.

However, the court threw this plea out of the window and directed the Tihar jail authorities to ensure his safety and security in jail. The special CBI court acknowledged that the accused is a son of a former union minister, however it said that his “social status” cannot be the basis of providing him any special facility like a separate jail.

“The apprehension raised by the senior counsel of the 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. However, only keeping in view the fact of social status of the accused and his father, he cannot be treated different from other accused persons and cannot be allowed to be kept in a separate prison,” said the special CBI judge. “The lock up incharge and the jail superintendent of Tihar jail, are directed to provide and ensure proper safety and security to the accused during the judicial custody as per rules,” he said.

Trashing Karti’s contention that he faces a threat in jail, the CBI argued that if the accused has been traveling abroad did not face any personal threat, then how is it possible that he would he face threat to his life inside a jail where there are tight security measures in place.

The CBI on Monday did not seek further police custody of Karti and said that the accused may be sent to judicial custody citing “sufficient material clearly implicting him in the serious economic offence.”

The CBI made out its case for 15 day judicial custody of Karti Chidambaram saying that the accused has not been cooperating with the investigating agency and was “non cooperative and evasive” through out the period of his questioning during police remand. It has submitted its investigation proceedings in the form of a case diary to the court.

Meanwhile, Karti will now have to wait for his bail plea to be heard, which has been slated for March 15, to get any reprieve. The son of the former finance minister has been in custody since his arrest on February 28 in the INX Media corruption case where he is alleged to have used the office of his father, then finance minister, to favour INX Media in getting FIPB clearances. Karti has alleged “political vendetta” and denied all allegations.