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Published 22:18 IST, September 5th 2019

Chidambaram and other senior leaders who were jailed in Tihar

With Chidambaram being sent to Tihar jail till September 19, here is a list of other senior leaders who made have spent time in Asia’s largest prison.

Reported by: Pritesh Kamath
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Chidambaram
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Former Union Minister P Chidambaram was sent to Tihar jail on Thursday. He is to remains there till September 19, after a special CBI court ordered him to be put in judicial custody, in connection with the INX Media Case. With Chidambaram on his way to Tihar, here is a list of prominent personalities who have at some point stayed there, in Asia’s largest prison.

READ | P Chidambaram sent to judicial custody at Tihar Jail in INX Media case

Lalu Prasad Yadav

The President of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) Lalu Prasad Yadav, who also served as Chief Minister of Bihar from 1991-1997 and next as Railway Minister between 2004-2009, is another candidate who has made his way on to this list. He was sentenced to five years of imprisonment and slapped with a fine of Rs 25 lakh, in connection with the first fodder scam. He was given another 3.5 years for his involvement in the second fodder scam. He was again found guilty in the third fodder scam and convicted by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on the fourth. There are several criminal cases filed against him and his family by the ED and CBI for cases ranging from disproportionate assets and railway tender bribery cases, during his tenure as the Railway Minister. 

READ | Like father like son; the Chidambarams made similar demands in Tihar

Suresh Kalmadi

A former Senior Sports Administrator and a Congress politician, Suresh Kalmadi was charged under provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act and was later arrested in April 2014, in relation to the corruption case in Common-Wealth Games 2010, during his tenure as President of Indian Olympic Association and chairman of Common-Wealth Games 2010. Suresh Kalmadi was in jail for 10 months. The Congress party suspended his membership after he was arrested and charged with corruption.

READ | P Chidambaram sent to Tihar jail: 7-page Court order accessed

A Raja

A political leader of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) who was a former Cabinet Minister for Communication and Information Technology from 2007- 2009. He was arrested by the CBI, being one of the prime accused, and was in judicial custody for his involvement in the 2G Spectrum scam. According to court, Raja "wanted to favour some companies at the cost of the public exchequer" and "virtually gifted away important national assets." In 2017, he was acquitted along with others accused, after the special court in Delhi gave a verdict on the fact that the CBI couldn’t find evidence against Raja in seven years. 

READ | Chidambaram in Tihar: 3 ways in which his arrogance was busted 

Amar Singh

A former leader of the Samajwadi Party who had been in controversies on and off, Amar Singh was booked for offering bribes to three BJP MPs in 2008, under the ‘Prevention of Corruption Act’ by Delhi Police in 2011. He was in judicial custody but was later acquitted by the Supreme Court due to a lack of evidence against him. 

READ | Chidambaram in Tihar: Here's what his schedule in jail will look like

Anna Hazare

Once an Indian Army soldier, and later a social activist, Anna Hazare was arrested for illegally gathering in a Delhi park to begin his hunger strike. It was claimed in local media reports that Anna Hazare refused to cooperate and did not accept police conditions for allowing the protest. He refused to seek bail and was sent to Tihar jail for seven days. Anna Hazare was later released but he refused to leave the jail, determined to seek permission to fast at Ramlila Maidan and continued to fast inside the jail.

18:12 IST, September 5th 2019