Former Union Minister P Chidambaram, who was also the home minister during UPA government, was sent to 14-day judicial custody on Thursday in the INX Media corruption case. The veteran Congress leader was brought to Tihar from the Rouse Avenue Court amid high security.
Tihar, South Asia’s largest prison complex can house up to 6,200 prisoners.
Besides Chidamabaram, there are several senior politicians who have recently been to Tihar jail.
Suresh Kalmadi
Congress leader Suresh Kalmadi was arrested on corruption charges in the 2010 Commonwealth Games which were held in India. A former Senior Sports Administrator and a Congress politician, Suresh Kalmadi was charged under provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act and was later arrested in April 2014. During the time, he was the President of Indian Olympic Association and chairman of Common-Wealth Games 2010. He was allegedly involved in a criminal conspiracy to award the Games Timing, Scoring and Results (TSR) system contract to a Swiss company.
Congress had suspended his membership after he was arrested.
A Raja
Previously a Cabinet Minister, A Raja was a Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leader but was arrested for being the prime accused in the infamous 2G spectrum scam. He was perhaps the most high-profile Tihar inmate and was acquitted in 2017.
Raja’s arrest came in the wake of a Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report indicting him of allegedly manipulating telecom policy to favour certain firms in the allocation for 2G spectrum licences.
Amar Singh
A former leader of the Samajwadi Party who had been in controversies on and off, Amar Singh was booked for offering bribes to three BJP MPs in 2008, under the ‘Prevention of Corruption Act’ by Delhi Police in 2011. He was allegedly involved in ‘cash for votes’ scam.
Amar Singh was later acquitted by the court due to lack of evidence. He has been given bail on a personal bond of Rs 2 lakh and on the condition that he cannot travel abroad.
Kanimozhi
DMK leader and M Karunanidhi’s daughter Kanimozhi was arrested on May 20, 2011 after the special CBI court in New Delhi ordered her arrest along with Kalaignar TV CEO Sharad Kumar after rejecting their bail pleas.
She later appealed for a bail citing that she had young children, nut it got rejected. The Delhi high court granted her bail on November 28, 2011.
Her party MP and Dalit leader A Raja has been in Tihar since February, for allegedly planning and executing the 2G scam when he was Telecom Minister in 2008.
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