INX Media Case: Supreme Court Reserves Judgment On P Chidambaram’s Bail Plea

The Supreme Court on Friday reserved its judgment on a plea by former finance minister P Chidambaram, seeking bail in the INX media case. Chidambaram has challenged the Delhi High Court’s verdict that dismissed his bail plea in the case. Earlier in the day, the CBI filed chargesheet in the high-profile INX Media Case against 14 people including former Union Minister P Chidambaram, his son Karti and Peter Mukerjea.

The CBI also told the Supreme Court that it cannot reveal the name of witness who was being influenced by former finance minister P Chidambaram. The CBI said that the witness was not Indrani Mukherjee but someone else. The name will be submitted in the court in a sealed cover.

On Thursday, a Delhi court remanded former finance minister and Congress leader P Chidambaram to police custody till October 24, in the case filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the INX Media money laundering case.  According to a report of PTI, judge Ajay Kumar Kuhar of the CBI Court at Rouse Avenue Court Complex allowed the ED to quiz Chidambaram and also granted him permission to have home-cooked food, western toilet, medicines in the ED custody. It is to be noted that the probe agency has sought 14-day custodial interrogation of the 74-year old senior Congress leader.

Also Read | INX Media Case: CBI files chargesheet, 14 including P Chidambaram, son Karti named

In the INX Media case, the CBI had registered an FIR on May 15, 2017, alleging irregularities in the FIPB clearance granted to the media group for receiving overseas funds of Rs 305 crore in 2007 during Chidambaram's tenure as the finance minister. Thereafter, the ED lodged a money laundering case in this regard in 2017. Chidambaram had approached the Supreme Court seeking bail in the INX Media case lodged by CBI after the Delhi High Court on September 30, denied him the relief. He had not filed the bail plea before the trial court.

On Wednesday, former Union Minister and senior Congress leader P Chidambaram, who has been in CBI custody for last 55 days, was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate after two-hour-long grilling. News Nation has learnt that the arrest was only on papers as there is no order of custodial transfer of Chidambaram from the CBI to the ED.