NEW DELHI:  It's a cruel turn of fate. P. Chidambaram, who as India's Finance minister till just a few years ago decided the country's budget, is now dependent on a few hundred rupees provided by his family for his basics such as tooth brush, shaving cream and bottled water.

Chidambaram is presently under detention in Delhi's Tihar Jail in connection with the INX Media corruption case. He is lodged as prisoner number 1449 in a cell in Jail no. 7.

The Delhi High Court last week turned down Chidambaram's surrender application in the case, saying if the investigators (Enforcement Directorate) don't want to arrest him, his surrender application can't be entertained. The court also turned down the request of Chidambaram's counsel Kapil Sibal to allow him home-cooked food.

"A prisoner's family can deposit Rs 1,500 every week in the Prisoner Welfare Fund. The inmate is provided with a numberless ATM card to use this money from the fund to meet his daily needs. Prisoners are not allowed to keep cash with them," a Tihar source told IANS.

"Chidambaram has been using most of the money in his fund in buying bottled water and getting his shave done. He hasn't seen actual money since the day he landed in Tihar," said the source.