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Chidambaram in Tihar Jail as ED did not take his custody after asking for it all along

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Chidambaram in Tihar Jail as ED did not take his custody after asking for it all along

Congress leader and former union minister P Chidambaram was yesterday sent to Tihar jail, even as he tried hard to avoid judicial custody, since the Enforcement Directorate (ED) did not take his custody after fighting for it in the courts for over a month.

The ED, which had been arguing for denial of his anticipatory bail in INX Media money laundering case and succeeded in getting Supreme Court to reject his plea, did not take him into custody, thereby ensuring that he was sent to the most notorious jail of country.

If ED would have filed an application to arrest the former finance in INX media case as his anticipatory bail application was rejected, Chidambaram would have been remanded to its custody, instead of being sent to Tihar jail.

As it happened, the Rouse Avenue Court sent P Chidambaram to judicial custody till Sep 19 in INX Media case being probed by CBI.

The ED, which had wanted to arrest Chidambaram since his anticipatory bail application was rejected by Delhi high court on August 20, interestingly did not file application before the trial court.

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Chidambaram also filed an application that he wants to surrender before the ED in INX media case but SG Tushar Mehta, representing ED, told that he would like to argue on this next week. The Court issued notice to ED and sought its reply and said that it will hear the Chidambaram’s surrender application on Sep 12.

The CBI which had P Chidambaram in their custody for the last 15 days, also pressed that Chidambaram should be sent to Tihar jail.

Arguing against judicial custody senior Congress leader and lawyer Kapil Sibal said: “I am willing to go to Enforcement Directorate custody if they want, but why to judicial custody? Either I surrender, let Enforcement Directorate take custody, I don’t have a problem.”

The CBI said: “The accused is a powerful and influential person, so should be sent to judicial custody.” Sibal countered that there had been no case of tampering with or influencing evidence.

If the Enforcement Directorate had arrested Chidambaram, he would have been taken to the Tughlaq Road police station, where another Congress leader, DK Sivakumar, was already incarcerated.

Ordering judicial custody for him, the Court granted Chidambaram a separate cell with adequate security after hearing a separate plea seeking directions to the Jail authorities to ensure safe detention while in judicial custody while having a separate cell with adequate security.

Earlier, the Supreme Court rejected Chidambaram’s plea for protection from arrest by ED. “Anticipatory bail has to be exercised sparingly in cases of economic offences. Considering the facts and circumstances, this is not a fit case to grant anticipatory bail,” the Supreme Court said, The court said that the investigating agency has to be given sufficient freedom to conduct its probe, and the grant of anticipatory bail at this stage would hamper investigation.

Chidambaram did manage to get pre-arrest bail in another case, the Rs. 3,500-crore Aircel-Maxis deal involving a clearance of $800 million foreign investment in 2006, allegedly in exchange of kickbacks.

The Enforcement Directorate has accused Mr Chidambaram of money-laundering in the case involving INX Media, which is being investigated by the CBI.

The CBI accuses Mr Chidambaram of misusing his position as Finance Minister of the country in 2007 while facilitating a huge infusion of foreign funds in INX Media at the instance of his son Karti Chidambaram.

The allegations against Chidambaram and his son are based on the information from INX Media co-founders Peter Mukerjea and Indrani Mukerjea, who are currently jailed in Mumbai in connection with the murder of Indrani’s daughter Sheena Bora.

Karti Chidambaram, who allegedly received kickbacks for his role in securing the foreign funds, was arrested in 2018 and released after 23 days.

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court had extended Chidambaram’s CBI custody for two days after his lawyer said the 74-year-old leader should not be sent to Tihar jail, where arrested persons are taken when they do not get bail after the end of police custody.

After the court ordered judicial custody for Chidambaram, Sibal moved an application asking the court to provide security to Chidambaram — he has Z-category cover — in a cell with a cot and western toilet. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for CBI, told the court that adequate safety arrangements will be made during Chidambaram’s stay in judicial custody. He has been allowed to carry his medicines to jail.

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Chidambaram, who was taken to the Tihar jail on Thursday evening, will get no special facilities, except a separate cell and a Western toilet as specified by the court, said reports quoting prison officials. Like other inmates, he will also have access to the prison’s library and can watch television for a specified period.

After the mandatory medical check-up, Chidambaram was lodged in Jail No. 7, which usually houses those accused in Enforcement Directorate cases. Incidentally, his son Karti was also lodged in this cell for 12 days in the same case last year.

The cell was prepared in advance, with the jail authorities anticipating that the senior Congress leader might turn up in view of the ongoing court cases against him, they said.

Ratul Puri, nephew of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath, who is being probed by the ED in connection with the AgustaWestland and a bank fraud case, is also lodged in this jail.

India News

BJP, AIADMK walk out of Tamil Nadu assembly over budget and rupee symbol controversy

Tamil Nadu’s BJP and AIADMK MLAs walked out of the Assembly, protesting the DMK’s budget, rupee symbol swap, and alleged TASMAC scam, intensifying political tensions ahead of the 2025 elections.

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Tamil Nadu Assembly during budget session

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) staged a walkout from the Tamil Nadu Assembly on Friday as the state’s 2025-26 budget was being presented. The opposition parties accused the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) government of presenting an unproductive budget while also protesting the controversial rupee symbol swap and allegations of corruption in the state-run liquor agency, TASMAC.

BJP Calls Budget a ‘Cover-Up’

BJP’s Tamil Nadu unit chief, K Annamalai, termed the budget an “eye-washing exercise” and criticized the government for not addressing key concerns. “Our four MLAs walked out for a simple reason—the whole budget is an eye-wash. There is nothing productive about it,” Annamalai said.

The walkout highlights the growing tension between the DMK and opposition parties, particularly as the state gears up for next year’s Assembly elections. Tamil Nadu has traditionally been resistant to BJP’s nationalist politics, making the upcoming polls a critical test for the party.

Re-Ru Swap Sparks Controversy

The budget presentation also reignited the ‘Re-Ru’ symbol controversy, with the BJP strongly opposing the replacement of the rupee symbol (Re) in the budget logo with the Tamil letter (Ru), which is commonly used to denote currency in the state.

Annamalai accused the DMK of creating unnecessary division. “The Tamil Nadu government wanted to change the rupee symbol and created so much ruckus,” he stated. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman also slammed the change, calling it a “secessionist move” that signals a “dangerous mindset.”

The DMK, however, defended the decision. Party leader Saravanan Annadurai dismissed the controversy, stating, “There is nothing illegal… This is not a ‘showdown’. We prioritize Tamil, and that is why we went with this.”

Liquor Scam Allegations

Apart from the rupee symbol row, the BJP and AIADMK also targeted the DMK over alleged financial irregularities in TASMAC, the state-run liquor agency. BJP MLA Vanathi Srinivasan cited an Enforcement Directorate (ED) report that flagged multiple irregularities and unaccounted cash worth Rs 1,000 crore.

“Our walkout is on two issues—the first is the ED’s findings of financial irregularities in TASMAC, and the second is the disrespect shown to the rupee symbol,” Srinivasan said.

AIADMK’s Position

The AIADMK, which has been cautious in its stance on the ‘Hindi imposition’ debate, has been more vocal in attacking the DMK over the alleged liquor scam. Party leader and former Chief Minister E Palaniswami led a walkout of over 60 AIADMK MLAs, demanding the immediate resignation of the DMK government over the allegations.

The opposition parties are drawing parallels between the Tamil Nadu TASMAC scam and the Delhi excise policy case, which led to the BJP’s resurgence in the national capital.

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Shiv Sena leader shot dead in Punjab’s Moga after being chased on bike

Shiv Sena leader Mangat Rai Manga was fatally shot in Punjab’s Moga after being chased on a bike. A 12-year-old boy was also injured. Police have initiated an investigation.

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Shiv Sena leader Mangat Rai Manga shot dead in Punjab’s Moga

In a shocking incident, a district president of a Shiv Sena faction, Mangat Rai Manga, was shot dead in Punjab’s Moga on Thursday night. The attack also left a 12-year-old boy injured, police confirmed on Friday.

Attack on Mangat Rai Manga

The incident took place around 10 pm when Manga had gone to buy milk. According to reports, three unidentified assailants opened fire at him, but the bullet missed and instead hit a young boy nearby. Sensing danger, Manga tried to escape on his two-wheeler but was pursued by the attackers. During the chase, they fired again, fatally hitting him before fleeing the scene.

Medical Response and Investigation

Police rushed Manga to the hospital, but doctors declared him ‘brought dead.’ Meanwhile, the injured child was first admitted to Moga Civil Hospital and later shifted to another medical facility for better treatment.

Authorities are currently investigating the case and verifying which faction of Shiv Sena Manga was associated with.

Reactions and Parallel Incidents

Joginder Sharma, national president of right-wing group Vishwa Hindu Shakti, expressed grief over the killing. “We got to know that some miscreants shot Manga dead. As soon as we got the information, we reached the hospital,” he said.

Manga’s daughter also demanded justice, stating that her father left home at 8 pm and was later informed at 11 pm about his death.

In another violent incident the same night, three motorcycle-borne attackers entered a salon in Bagiana Basti and opened fire on the owner, Devender Kumar. One bullet struck Kumar in the leg, after which he was taken to Moga Civil Hospital and later referred to another facility.

Police Investigation

DSP City Ravinder Singh confirmed that two shooting incidents took place on Thursday night—one at the salon and another on Stadium Road, where Manga was killed. “Manga’s body has been kept in the mortuary, and an investigation is underway,” he said.

Police are currently searching for the assailants and analyzing possible motives behind both shootings.

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India News

PM Modi extends Holi greetings, calls festival a symbol of unity and enthusiasm

PM Modi, President Murmu, and Rajnath Singh extend Holi wishes, emphasizing unity, cultural richness, and the joy of the festival.

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PM Modi, President Murmu extend Holi greetings, emphasize unity

As India immerses itself in the vibrant hues of Holi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended his heartfelt greetings, emphasizing the festival’s role in strengthening unity and bringing new energy to people’s lives.

“I wish you all a very Happy Holi. This festival filled with joy and happiness will infuse new enthusiasm and energy in everyone’s life and will also deepen the colours of unity among the countrymen,” PM Modi shared on X.

President Murmu and Rajnath Singh share warm wishes

President Droupadi Murmu also greeted citizens on the auspicious occasion, highlighting Holi’s significance as a festival of unity and cultural heritage.

“Heartiest greetings to all countrymen on the auspicious occasion of Holi, the festival of colours. This festival of joy gives the message of unity, love, and harmony. This festival is also a symbol of India’s precious cultural heritage,” President Murmu posted on X.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also extended his wishes, praying for happiness and good health for all.

“Heartiest greetings to all of you on the auspicious festival of Holi. May this festival fill your life with the colours of happiness and good health,” he said.

UP CM Yogi Adityanath celebrates at Gorakhnath Temple

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath marked the festival by applying gulal to cows and calves at Gorakhnath Temple, adding a traditional touch to the celebrations.

Across Uttar Pradesh, Holi celebrations have begun with immense enthusiasm. In Aligarh, people embraced each other and played with colors, embodying the festival’s spirit of togetherness.

Holi festivities bring joy and unity across India

The festival, known for its vibrant colors and joyous atmosphere, saw people across the country applying gulaal, dancing to folk music, and celebrating with friends and family. In Sambhal, processions were carried out before 2:30 PM, in accordance with arrangements for Jumma Namaz. Superintendent of Police KK Bishnoi assured that police deployment was in place to ensure a peaceful celebration.

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