Chidambaram playing 'victim card' to prevent arrest: ED to SC

New Delhi : "A ghost is sought to be created" by former finance minister P Chidambaram by "playing victim card" and prevent the ED from arresting him in the INX Media money laundering case, the probe agency told the Supreme Court Wednesday.

Asserting it to be a "serious case of money laundering", the Enforcement Directorate said it has collected "cogent materials" warranting custodial interrogation of Chidambaram. It said it received "specific inputs and specific details" from foreign countries and banks about properties abroad, house number, companies and persons who own them.

The ED told a bench of Justices R Banumathi and A S Bopanna, which extended till Thursday the interim protection from arrest granted to Chidambaram in the ED case, that no "witch hunt" is going on against him and money laundering is a "well crafted" and "well thought of" offence.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for ED, said they cannot share "sensitive material" collected during the probe with Chidambaram at this stage. "We will put it to accused during custodial interrogation. We do not arrest an accused to have a cup of tea with him," Mehta said.

"A ghost is sought to be created by playing the victim card," he added. "This is not a witch hunt as alleged by them. We have material to show that it is a serious case of money laundering. We have collected cogent materials in the case," Mehta said during the arguments which will continue on Thursday.

Referring to the arguments advanced by Chidambaram's counsel on Tuesday that ED wanted to humiliate him by arresting him, Mehta said, "A victim card is sought to be played. They are saying humiliation. It is not. It is prevention, prevention and prevention with capital P. I am serious about this".

He said they are dealing with an "intelligent person" since a "stupid man" cannot commit laundering of layers and layers of money and this offence is not committed in a heat of moment. "It is a well-crafted and well thought of offence, meaning thereby it become very difficult to unravel how money is laundered," he said.