P Chidambaram agreed to go with CBI on Congress party's advice: Sources

Congress party had advised its senior leader and former finance P Chidambaram to allow the CBI to arrest him, according to sources. CBI had arrived at P Chidambaram’s residence to arrest him after his dramatic appearance before the media at party headquarters. However, the former finance minister didn’t open the main gate of his residence and the agency sleuths had to scale a wall to enter his residence.

Even after entering his residence, the CBI agents had to stand outside his house as the agency sleuths waited on the ground floor. However, it was Congress high command, who advised Chidambaram to allow CBI to perform its duties. On instructions from the party, Chidambaram allowed the CBI team to enter and agreed to go with them to the central probe agency’s headquarters. Upon reaching the headquarters, the CBI formally arrested Chidambaram and started first phase of the interrogation.

A team of doctors from RML Hospital had conducted the medical examination of the Congress leader inside the CBI headquarters. According to sources, the first phase of interrogation will continue till 12:30 pm in the night. Later in the day, he will be produced before the Rouse Avenue Court.

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Earlier in the day, high-voltage drama unfolded after Chidambaram, who reportedly went incommunicado soon after Delhi High Court’s rejected his plea seeking interim protection from the arrest by the CBI and the ED, appeared before the media at Congress headquarters. Addressing the media, the former finance minister said that if he has to choose between the liberty and the life, he will always choose liberty.

"I was aghast that I was accused of hiding from the law. On the contrary, I was engaged in pursuit of justice," Chidambaram said at a press conference. "Now I shall walk with a clear conscience and head held high. In the name of freedom, I can only hope and pray that investigative agencies will respect the law," he added.

Soon after his dramatic appearance, a team of CBI rushed to the Congress headquarters in Delhi to arrest him but by the time they reached, he left for his residence. However, teams of CBI and ED followed the Congress leader to his residence and finally arrested him.