New Delhi, August 22: The CBI court, before which senior Congress leader P Chidambaram was presented today, was told by the prosecution to consider the case as sensitive. Arguing before the bench headed by Justice Ajay Kumar Kuhar, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said the case is "serious involving intelligent people".

Chidambaram, who was denied interim relief from arrest by the Delhi High Court on Tuesday, was arrested yesterday following a dramatic chase. He was apprehended from his residence and kept at the CBI headquarters in the national capital throughout the night. P Chidambaram Sent to 5-Day Custody by CBI Court in INX Media Case

The agency presented Chidambaram before the court and sought his custody for 5-12 days for further questioning in the case. The defence counsel led by senior advocate and Congress leader Kapil Sibal asked the court to release Chidambaram, claiming that he was not even listed as a main accused.

Sibal further told the bench that all the main accused, including Karti Chidambaram, are already released on bail. The basis against the case against P Chidambaram, he added, is a confession extracted from "murder-accused" Indrani Mukerjea.

The CBI's counsel intervened and told the bench that Chidambaram, who was the Finance Minister in 2007, tweaked the rules to allow foreign investment beyond the permissible limits in INX Media.

Sibal refuted the charge, claiming that the decision was collectively taken by six government secretaries, and not Chidambaram alone. "Foreign Investment Promotion Board approval is given by six government secretaries, none have been arrested," he said.

Chidambaram, who was heading the Finance Ministry in 2007, is charged of tweaking the norms to allow INX Media to receive foreign investment upto Rs 305 crore. In its lieu, the CBI chargesheet alleges, Chidambaram's son Karti received kickbacks in his offshore firms.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 22, 2019 06:49 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).