New Delhi, September 19: A special court in the national capital, hearing the CBI plea seeking further custody of former union finance minister P Chidambaram in the INX media case, extended the same till October 3. The bench was asked by the prosecution to extend Chidambaram's custody as the investigation is at a critical stage, and the release of the senior Congress leader could hinder the course of probe. Chidambaram Turns 74 in Tihar Jail; Son Karti Writes Birthday Letter, Informs Him About Chandrayaan 2.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, arguing on behalf of the CBI, said the release of Chidambaram could also lead to the tampering of evidence and witnesses in the case. He further said that the agency is yet to extract details from Chidambaram on key matters related to the money laundering case.

Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, who sought the release of Chidambaram, told the court that the accused has thoroughly cooperated with the probing agency and there is no reason to doubt whether his cooperation would be restricted if released on bail.

Update by ANI:

Singhvi further told the single-judge bench that Chidambaram's condition has deteriorated in the prison, as the 74-year-old has rapidly lost weight since he was detained. Special judge Ajay Kumar Kuhar ruled in favour of the CBI as he decided to extend Chidambaram's custody by 14 days.

Notably, Chidambaram was arrested on August 21 in a dramatic manner by the CBI sleuths. Subsequently, his plea challenging the arrest has been rejected by the Supreme Court. The Special CBI court has continued to extend his custody so far.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 19, 2019 04:14 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).