The Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday formally arrested former finance minister P Chidambaram in connection with the INX Media money laundering case.

According to reports, Tihar jail authorities are awaiting a formal order from the Delhi special court for the Congress leader’s arrest.

The 74-year-old Congress leader has been in Tihar jail since September 5 in the INX Media case.

The arrest comes after a team of three ED officials on Wednesday morning interrogated Chidambaram inside the jail, where he has been kept under judicial custody.

Speaking on the development, the Congress leader’s son Karti, who was at the jail to meet his father, said that Chidambaram was in “good spirits” and termed the probe as “bogus”.

“I came to meet my father. He is in good spirits. Whatever these procedural games are being played are for political theatrics. This is a bogus investigation,” he said.

A Delhi court on Tuesday allowed the Enforcement Directorate to arrest the former finance minister in connection with the money laundering case.

The court had allowed the probe agency to first interrogate Chidambaram for about 30 minutes and then arrest him if needed.

“It’s not of the dignity of this person that you interrogate and arrest him here in public view,” the court said.

The Enforcement Directorate had on Friday approached the court seeking production warrant against Chidambaram in the INX media case.

ED, in its plea to the court, had said that it requires custodial interrogation of Chidambaram in the case.

Solicitor General, Tushar Mehta representing ED in the case had argued that Chidambaram needs to be taken in for custodial interrogation to obtain information on shell companies in foreign countries and 17 bank accounts.

Chidambaram is under probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and ED over alleged irregularities in the FIPB clearance granted to INX Media for receiving overseas funds of Rs 305 crore in 2007 during his tenure as Union Finance Minister.

The ED suspects the Congress leader and his son Karti of owning several immovable properties and over 16 bank accounts in other countries, which they are trying to identify to trace the money trail.

P Chidambaram and his son Karti were named by Peter and Indrani Mukerjea, who owned INX Media at the time and are currently in jail in connection with the murder of Indrani Mukerjea’s daughter Sheena Bora.