Jail officials said that former Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram, who was brought to the Tihar jail on Thursday evening, would not get any special facility apart from a separate cell and a western toilet.
Like other prisoners, he too will have access to the jail’s library and can watch television for a specified period.
After a compulsory medical examination, Chidambaram was placed in Jail No. 7, who usually convicts the accused in Enforcement Directorate cases. Incidentally, his son Karthi was also kept in this cell for 12 days in the same case last year.
He had a light dinner and his medicines on his first night in jail, sources said.
The cell was prepared in advance, with the jail authorities anticipating that the senior Congress leader might turn up in view of the ongoing court cases against him, they said.
Ratul Puri, nephew of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath, who is being probed by the ED in connection with the AgustaWestland and a bank fraud case, is also lodged in this jail.
A prison official said food is usually served to the inmates between 7 and 8 pm but it is kept aside for those who arrive late due to court procedures.
The usual dinner menu is rotis, dal, sabji and rice.
Chidambaram will be lodged in the cell from 9 pm to 6 am. Breakfast will be served between 7 am and 8 am, the official added.
Officials said he can either drink water from a Reverse Osmosis plant or purchase packaged bottle from the canteen.
“He will also have access to the prison’s library and also watch television, just like a normal inmate,” the official added.
Chidambaram, who was also the home minister during UPA 2, was sent to 14-day judicial custody on Thursday in the INX Media corruption case.
The veteran Congress leader was brought to Asia’s largest prison from the Rouse Avenue Court amid high security. It took nearly 35 minutes for the jail authorities to bring Chidambaram to the prison from the court.
As the police van ferrying Chidambaram was being tailed by the media, jail authorities tried to hide his face with a document. He was taken inside the jail from gate no 4 of the prison.
Later, his son Karthi, along with lawyers, was also seen outside the jail.
“They are being given a separate cell and can use western restrooms as per the court order,” the jail official said.
The court allowed him to take his glasses, prescribed medicines to the jail and directed that he be kept in a separate cell in Tihar Jail as he is a guard under Z-protection.
