Chidambaram's tryst with CBI headquarters: Special guest in 2011, detainee in 2019

Former finance minister and senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram who was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) late on Wednesday night was taken to the agency's headquarters in Delhi Lodhi Road area.

This was the same building he attended the inauguration of when he was the union minister back in 2011. Chidambaram who was Union Home Minister from November 2008 to July 2012 in the UPA regime was one of the special guests at CBI headquarters' inauguration event held on June 30, 2011.

Chidambaram was arrested from his residence in Jor Bagh locality of New Delhi on Wednesday. He was taken to the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital for a medical check-up, before he was brought to the CBI headquarters. He will be produced before a special CBI court on Thursday afternoon.

Also Read: Chidambaram arrest Live Updates: CBI questions former Finance Minister for 3 hours

Before his arrest, Chidambaram briefly appeared at the AICC headquarters in New Delhi to address the media on the charges levelled against him in the INX Media case after remaining untraceable for almost 27 hours. In his address, Chidambaram strongly defended himself and his family, asserting that none of them were named in the INX Media case by any of the agencies.

Earlier on Wednesday, Chidambaram's legal team tried to get anticipatory bail for him from the Supreme Court. However, the apex court decided to hear the matter on Friday. Chidambaram had urged the probe agencies to wait till Friday till his bail plea was heard by the apex court.

The Delhi High Court had dismissed Chidambaram's anticipatory bail plea on Tuesday and declared him the "kingpin" in the INX Media case. Following this, the veteran Congress leader had fallen off the grid. The Central Bureau of Investigation and Enforcement Directorate had issued separate lookout circulars to prevent him from leaving the country.

Also Read: What is INX Media case; a look at the genesis of P Chidambaram and son Karti's misfortunes

Also Read: Infographic: History of INX Media case that led to arrest of P Chidambaram