New Delhi: Former Union Finance Minister and Congress leader P Chidambaram was arrested by the ED on Wednesday. He is currently lodged in Tihar Jail in INX Media money laundering case. Officials said that the investigation agency has taken this step after getting approval from the Lower Court on Tuesday. At the same time, the Special Court of Delhi has issued a production warrant (personal appearance) against Congress leader Chidambaram. He has been asked to appear in the INX case on Thursday i.e. in court today.

A three-member investigation team of ED reached Tihar Jail at 8.15 am on Wednesday to interrogate Chidambaram. The 74-year-old Congress leader was arrested under the Money Laundering Act after an interrogation that lasted nearly two hours. During this, Chidambaram's son Karti and wife Nalini Chidambaram were also seen in the jail premises. Subsequently, the investigating agency's lawyers Amit Mahajan and NK Matta informed the Rouse Avenue court of Delhi about Chidambaram's arrest and sought his 14-day custody for questioning.

On this, Special Judge Ajay Kumar Kuhar issued a production warrant against Chidambaram for 3 pm on Thursday. The ED had filed a criminal case against Chidambaram under the PMLA in 2017 for irregularities in Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) permission granted to INX Media Group in 2007-08. During this time Chidambaram was the Finance Minister and it is alleged that this sanction was given against the rules.

The agency has accused Chidambaram of corruption and money laundering, along with his son Karti Chidambaram, through the promoters of the group Indrani Mukherjee and Peter Mukherjee. The FIPB was repealed by the Modi government in 2017. Chidambaram was arrested by the CBI in the case on August 21 and has been in judicial custody for the past 55 days.

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