INX Media Case: Delhi High Court Rejects P Chidambaram's Bail Application In ED Probe

Delhi High Court on Friday rejected the bail application of Congress leader P Chidambaram in connection with the INX media money laundering case, which is being probed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The court had recently reserved the order after the conclusion of the arguments. Chidambaram is former union minister and currently lodged in Tihar jail under judicial custody in the case. The ED had arrested Chidambaram on October 16 and thereafter secured his custody from the court. Subsequently, he was sent to judicial custody in Tihar jail till November 13.

On Wednesday, a special court in New Delhi had extended the judicial custody of Chidambaram till November 27 in connection with the matter which is being investigated by the ED. The Congress leader appeared before the court through video conferencing due to lawyers' strike in the courts across the national capital. He was produced before the court at the end of his judicial custody on Wednesday.

The case pertains to an FIR registered by the CBI for alleged irregularities in the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance given to INX Media to the tune of Rs 305 crore in 2007 by Chidambaram when he was the finance minister. Thereafter, a case was registered by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

Chidambaram was granted bail by the Supreme Court on October 22 in the INX Media corruption case being probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). He had recently sought for regular bail in the money laundering case by asserting that no part of the triple test, which includes flight risk, influencing witnesses and tampering with evidence, has been made out against him.