A Delhi court has extended former Finance Minister P Chidambaram's judicial custody in INX media case till October 3, reports said on Thursday. Special judge Ajay Kumar Kuhar pronounced the orders of the court following the expiry of Chidambaram's 14-day judicial custody. Earlier in the day, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) moved the court seeking an extension of Chidambaram's judicial custody.
Senior Counsels Kabil Sibal and Abhishek Manu Sanghvi, appearing for Chidambaram, argued that there were no reasons for extending the judicial custody. "Just because there's a hearing coming up in High Court, it can't become a ground for an extension," the Live Law quoted Sibal as saying.
Sibal further moved a request for Chidambaram's medical examination by a government hospital after pointed out that the former Union Minister was suffering from a series of minor illness, including hypertension, coronary and artery diseases, impaired glycemia, irritable bowel disease, prostatomegaly, Crohn's disease, and Vitamin D deficiency.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the CBI, countered the demand claiming that each prisoner first gets examined by the jail doctor, adding that only after his examination they are allowed to move to external hospitals. The court also allowed Chidambaram to meet his family.
