Former finance minister P Chidambaram would remain in the CBI custody till September 5 in the INX Media corruption case as the Supreme Court Tuesday ordered "status quo" despite the probe agency insisting that it does not require his further custodial interrogation.
The apex court also asked Chidambaram's counsel not to press for the interim bail plea, filed before the trial court on Monday and scheduled to be heard today, till Thursday.
"In view of above, we deem it appropriate that the present status quo of CBI custody of the petitioner (Chidambaram) shall remain continued till Thursday, the September 5, 2019," said a bench of justices R Banumathi and A S Bopanna.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the CBI, told the top court that an accused cannot say that he does not want to go to jail under judicial custody and said, "We (CBI) do not need his custody".
Senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for Chidambaram, said they would not press for the interim bail plea before the trial court later Tuesday and CBI's custody of the Congress leader should be extended till September 5.
The bench said it would hear on Thursday Chidambaram's plea in which he has challenged the non-bailable warrant (NBW) issued against him as well as the subsequent trial court orders remanding him to the CBI custody in the case.
While posting the matter for hearing on Thursday, the bench said: "We are conscious that we should not usurp the jurisdiction of the concerned trial court."
"One person does not want to go to jail (under judicial custody)," Mehta said, adding, "If we don't take his custody then the law must take its course."