India's ex-finance minister Chidambaram arrested

Former Indian finance minister P Chidambaram was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wedensday evening after high drama outside his South Delhi home.

Moments after Chidambaram made a surprise appearance at the Congress headquarters in this evening, a team of CBI officials raced to his residence in New Delhi’s Jor Bagh to arrest him. 

Earlier in the day, Central Bureau of Investigation and the Enforcement Directorate had issued lookout notices against the former finance minister.

The team of about 30 CBI sleuths accompanied by Delhi police officials reached Chidambaram’s Jor Bagh residence and knocked at the doors for a few minutes before scaling the boundary wall to enter the premises.

The Supreme Court decided to hear Chidambaram’s plea for relief in the INX Media case. His lawyers had made several attempts on Wednesday to get an urgent hearing in the top court. P Chidambaram faces arrest after the Delhi high court on Tuesday rejected his anticipatory bail plea in the case .

The INX Media case, which pertains to the alleged irregularities in the Foreign Investment Promotion Board clearance to the media group for receiving overseas funds to the tune of Rs 307 crore at a time Chidambaram was the Union finance minister.

A special leave petition was filed in Supreme Court by lawyers of former finance minister P Chidambaram seeking interim relief in the INX media case. They were told to approach the Chief Justice if India.