NEW DELHI (AP) — An Indian court has ordered that a former finance minister belonging to the opposition Congress party be held for four days for police questioning in suspected bribery and money laundering cases.

Palaniappan Chidambaram appeared before Judge Ajay Kumar Kuhar on Thursday, a day after he was arrested by federal investigators at his New Delhi home.

Prosecutors say Chidambaram as the country's finance minister in 2007 facilitated 3 billion rupees ($43 million) in foreign investment in an Indian media company, which allegedly paid kickbacks to his son, Karti Chidambaram. His son has been named as a defendant in the case.

Chidambaram and his son deny the allegations and accuse Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government of pursuing a political vendetta.