Chidambaram, who has been missing from his home since Tuesday evening, appeared at the national headquarters of the Congress Party on Wednesday and made a statement before the media.
Immediately after his statement, as Chidambaram reached his residence, a large posse of CBI officials took him into custody, scaling the wall outside his residence without waiting for the gate to be opened.
Chidambaram is being probed for allegedly facilitating foreign investment in a media company, when he was Finance Minister in the former Congress-lead coalition government, and providing financial favours to his son.
The Congress leader has been on interim bail since May 2018, but the High Court of Delhi cancelled his bail on 20 August, paving the way for his arrest by the CBI and the ED, who are both investigating the case.
Lawyers acting for Chidambaram appealed his arrest to the Supreme Court which is due to consider the matter on 23 August.
“There was a widespread impression that grave offences were committed and my son and I have committed those offences. Nothing can be farther from truth. These are lies spread by pathological liars,” Chidambaram said as be appeared before the media at the national headquarters of the Congress Party.
Chidambaram claimed that he had not been accused of any offence with regard to INX Media case and that neither had anyone else in his family. “In fact there is no charge sheet filed either by the CBI or the ED before a competent court. Moreover, the First Information Report recorded by the CBI does not impute to me any wrong doing,” he added.