Former Finance Minister P. Chidambaram Sent To Tihar Jail

NEW DELHI: Former Finance Minister P. Chidambaram was on Thursday lodged in the capital’s Tihar Jail where he will not find it easy to adjust to the stifling barracks which will be a far cry from his days in North Block.

Chidambaram’s son Karti Chidambaram was also lodged in the same jail earlier.

Earlier on Thursday, a court here sent Chidambaram to 14-day judicial custody in the INX Media case. The span will cover Chidambaram’s 74th birthday - on September 16 - which he will have to spend locked up.

The court has allowed the former Union Minister to take his medicines along with him. Since Chidambaram enjoys Z-category security, the court also allowed him to be kept in a separate cell with adequate arrangements for his security.

The senior Congress leader, who was arrested by the CBI in the case last month and had undergone interrogation, will be lodged in Tihar Jail.

Chidambaram can apparently explore legal options after he has spent the requisite time, till September 19, in judicial custody.

With a high-profile undertrial like Chidambaram set to be lodged in the prison, one would expect special arrangements to be made.

On being asked about any specific preparations, Director General of Prisons, Sandeep Goyal said: “A jail is a jail. We only follow the court’s orders. No one lodged in a jail is special.”

He said Chidambaram would be treated like a normal prisoner.

Chidambaram is facing trial for financial crimes and is also aged above 70 but Goyal only said “We will do what the jail manual says,” as he brushed aside any security concerns. Jail No. 7 houses 600-700 inmates, the majority of whom are jailed for crimes against women though the block has traditionally been used to house economic offenders.

The process to lodge Chidambaram will start with his thumbprint being taken on his entry into the jail as CBI officials will hand over all the legal documents to the jail staff to begin the official paperwork.

The jail staff will be given details of the charges against the high-profile inmate who will need to inform them about his family details and who will come to visit him in jail.

In view of his advanced age, he will be provided services of a physician to check his blood pressure at night. He may also be given personal use of the barrack that normally houses 10 inmates.

Apart from his clothes, he will not be allowed to carry anything from his home.

Chidambaram will also have to eat the jail’s ‘dal-roti’ in plastic utensils or he can get food from the jail canteen.

He will also be required to attend early morning prayers like all other inmates.

A jail official, asked how new inmates are woken up in the morning, simply said: “Do you think a high-profile inmate like Chidambaram will be able to get any sleep in the jail cell on his first night?”

Earlier, Chidambaram’s lawyers had begged against any adverse order before the Supreme Court on Monday in the INX Media case, registered by the Central Bureau of investigation (CBI). On Tuesday and Wednesday, Chidambaram’s lawyers argued in different courts to protect him from being sent to Tihar jail. On Thursday morning, the apex court declined anticipatory bail to Chidambaram in the matter being probed by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED), and later the Congress leader withdrew the petition against the CBI custody. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal appearing for Chidambaram pleaded before an apex court Bench, headed by Justice R Banumathi, “I am begging of you. Please don’t do this. Protect me till you hear this case. He shouldn’t be sent to Tihar”. He pleaded this citing his client’s age of 74. During the hearing, a high-decibel argument broke out between the legal teams of Chidambaram and the CBI. The court was hearing Chidambaram’s plea challenging non-bailable warrant (NBW) and remand orders of the trial court in the INX Media case. Sibal had pleaded not to make his plea against NBW and custody, infructuous. Chidambaram’s lawyers argued hard and cited several legal citation. Sibal didn’t refrain from expressing his fear that the trial court judge might not hold back from sending Chidambaram to Tihar jail. “Put him under house arrest or give an interim bail”, Sibal pleaded. The apex court didn’t accede to his house arrest plea. Sibal then pressed for extension of the interim protection for three days. The court queried, “Why should you skip the jurisdiction of the trial court and the high court, and move the Supreme Court.”

Additional Solicitor General K.M. Natarajan, appearing for the CBI, opposed this line of argument. “This application is not maintainable, this procedure is not known to the law, and it will set a wrong precedent”, Natarajan submitted. Chidambaram’s lawyers urged the judge to think over again the after effects of her adverse order (to send him to Tihar jail). Sibal said the investigating agencies couldn’t humiliate people in this manner.

The lawyers were arguing at extremely high pitch, and Justice Banumathi didn’t seem to be comfortable with that. In fact, she was interrupted several times by Chidambaram’s legal team while pronouncing the order. (IANS)

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