Allegations baseless, Karti tells media

In a jam-packed court room, Karti Chidambaram today said the allegations against him were "baseless" but was soon stopped by a CBI official from interacting with the media regarding the INX media case in which his custodial interrogation has been extended by three more days.
"These are just allegations. All baseless," Karti told PTI immediately after the order extending his custody was pronounced by Special Judge Sunil Rana in a jam-packed court room. However, he could not finish his sentence as an agency official asked him not to speak.
Unruffled by a swarm of reporters seeking his comment, Karti came out of the court with a confident smile on his face and made a closed-fist gesture to the cameras after which his supporters hailed his name and raised slogans while running behind the vehicle in which he was taken away by the probe agency.

His father P Chidambaram, too, kept a smiling face while heading out of the court room and appeared unperturbed by the media seeking his reaction on extension of his son's custody.
Karti, who wore a purple shirt and trousers, was produced before Special Judge Sunil Rana by CBI sleuths amid tight security at 12.15 pm, half-an-hour after the arrival of his parents, former Union finance minister P Chidambaram and senior advocate Nalini Chidambaram in the court room.
Dressed in white shirt and black pants, the senior Chidambaram today took a back row seat in the court room, which was flooded with lawyers, media persons and police officials, and had a brief interaction with his son's arguing counsel and senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi before his son was produced.

Few minutes after P Chidambaram's arrival, Karti's mother entered the court room, taking the front row seat, was seen speaking to advocates.

The hearing scheduled for 12.30 pm could not be commenced due to non-availability of Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the CBI, as he was stuck in the Supreme Court, forcing the court to reschedule the hearing at 2pm.
Before the hearing was resumed, Karti was allowed to speak to his parents for 10 minutes in the court room. He sat between his parents with CBI officials surrounding the family.
Chidambaram covered his mouth while chatting with Karti who, after the interaction stood up and made victory gesture at his supporters and responded to a person making a gesture asking him to stay strong.

During lunch time, the CBI officials brought a sandwich for Karti inside the court room.