Chidambaram moves Delhi High Court seeking regular bail

Source: livemint.com

NEW DELHI : The former finance minister P. Chidambaram on Wednesday has moved to Delhi High Court seeking a regular bail in the INX media corruption case. In his plea he has also challenged the CBI court order of 5 September which sent him to judicial custody till 19 September. In the petition he has alleged that the order to send him to judicial custody was against the settled principles of law. The arrest itself was illegal in nature as it was done by abusing the process enumerated under the legal provisions.

The Delhi High court on 20 August had rejected the anticipatory bail application of Chidambaram against CBI and ED in the INX Media case. Subsequently the a petition challenging the Delhi high court order was mentioned in Supreme Court on 21 August morning by the legal team of Chidambaram but the case could not be heard. Later in the evening on 21 August, post high drama the 73-year old Congress leader was arrested by the CBI.

On 22 August, the CBI court held that there are some serious allegations against Chidambaram therefore; he was remanded to police custody. In the order it also stated that the CBI had apprehension that because of Chidambaram’s status and his position, the investigation may be hampered by the accused.

The apex court had on September 5 dismissed his appeal against the Delhi High Court’s August 20 order and denied him anticipatory bail in the money laundering case lodged by ED.

On the same day in the late afternoon, Chidambaram, who had already served 14 days in CBI custody, was produced before special judge Ajay Kumar Kuhar in the CBI court. The CBI court held that “The CBI has apprehension that because of his status and position, the investigation may be hampered by the accused. It is not a case where accused can be ‘released’ at the stage of considering his extension of remand as submitted by the learned Senior Counsel for the accused. Now having considered all the facts and circumstances of the case, the nature of offences, the stage of investigation, the accused is remanded to judicial custody.” He has now been lodged in a separate cell in Tihar jail in Delhi. The court had also issued directions for keeping Chidambaram in a separate cell in Tihar prison as he was a protected under Z-security.

Now the legal team of Chidambaram has moved to Delhi High court to seek regular bail and in the INX media corruption case against the CBI. Alleging further in the petition he states that it is a malafide case filed against him as a result of political vendetta.

The CBI, on 15 May 2017, registered an FIR against Chidambaram for alleged irregularities in the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance provided to INX Media for receiving foreign funds of ₹305 crore in 2007 when he was finance minister. The money laundering cases lodged by the ED in this regard date back to 2018. Chidambaram was arrested on 21 August.