INX Media Case: Special Court Extends P Chidambaram’s CBI Custody Till August 30

A special court on Monday extended Chidambaram’s CBI custody till Aug. 30 for further interrogations in the INX Media corruption case. Special Judge Ajay Kumar Kuhar accepted CBI's demand that Chidambaram's custodial interrogation was required.

He was produced in the court on expiry of his four-day CBI custody which was granted to the agency on Aug. 22. PTI

The Central Bureau of Investigation on Monday sought for five more days custody of former Finance Minister P Chidambaram to complete its interrogations in the INX Media corruption case.

Chidambaram was produced before Special Judge Ajay Kumar Kuhar at a Delhi court on expiry of his four-day CBI custody.

Arguing for CBI, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and Additional Solicitor General KN Natarajan said that there were sufficient grounds for the extension of his custodial interrogation as he was interrogated from Aug. 23-26 and was confronted with a co-accused. The confrontation with co-accused is not complete, the prosecutors said, and placed before the court a file containing email exchanges between the accused persons.

"We need five days of custody of Chidambaram as the confrontation with co-accused will continue to unearth larger conspiracy," said Mehta. PTI

The Supreme Court on Monday extended till Tuesday the protection from arrest given to former Finance Minister P Chidambaram in the INX Media money laundering case lodged by the Enforcement Directorate.

A bench of justices R Banumathi and AS Bopanna said that it will continue hearing on Tuesday the petition of Chidambaram challenging the Delhi High Court order which had rejected his anticipatory bail plea in the money laundering case.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Chidambaram, completed his arguments and said he will file the rejoinder to the ED's counter affidavit.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for ED, said he will advance his arguments Tuesday and the bench posted the matter for hearing at noon tomorrow. PTI

Supreme Court says it will continue to hear tomorrow arguments on P Chidambaram’s anticipatory bail plea in the Enforcement Directorate’s INX Media money laundering case. The protection against arrest granted earlier shall continue till tomorrow. ANI

Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav on Monday slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Centre, saying it is trying to give a new definition to democracy by using the Enforcement Directorate and the Central Bureau of Investigation.

These have become "new institutions" under the BJP, Yadav told reporters at the SP headquarters in Lucknow. "One should learn institutional control from the BJP. No government has done it earlier. ED, CBI and fear—this is new democracy.”

"The BJP is trying to give a new definition to democracy by using ED and the Income Tax (department), and creating fear," he added. PTI

“Paragraphs in the Delhi High Court judgement were verbatim copy of CBI/ED note, comma by comma, full stop by full stop, word by word, sentence by sentence... Their note become findings of the court. Where is the application of mind by the judge?” says Chidambaram’s counsel Kapil Sibal in Supreme Court.

In reply, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta says, “I don't know from where they got this note. It was not in records."

“You have not even denied the note. No document was filed in court, no order said document was filed in court,” says Sibal in response.

“They (Enforcement Directorate) said they are yet to unearth the money-laundering scheme. So, if they are yet to unearth, how is it cogent evidence?" asks Sibal, after reading out ED’s affidavit in Supreme Court. ANI

P Chidambaram’s counsel, senior advocate Kapil Sibal, questions the line of questioning that the former finance minister is being subjected to during investigations in the INX Media cases.

"CBI is asking Chidambaram, do you have a Twitter account? What kind of questions are being asked? Twenty-six hours of examination and nothing (documents) has been put to him,” says Sibal.

If documents were available then why was he not confronted? Why did they pass the documents to Delhi High Court judge in sealed covers? This is a media trial,” he says. ANI

“Notes, documents, diaries were passed on to the Delhi High Court judge as evidence. These documents were not shown to Chidambaram during questioning,” Kapil Sibal says, arguing for P Chidambaram in the INX Media money-laundering case put forth by the Enforcement Directorate.

“This is a trial by media, by issuing statements that he has accounts and properties overseas. Show me one property overseas and I will withdraw my appeal,” says Sibal.

“Why was he never questioned about such overseas properties, accounts or wills?" asks Sibal. “Such statements are only to prejudice the court.”

The Supreme Court has now started hearing Chidambaram’s plea seeking anticipatory bail in the INX Media money-laundering case filed by the Enforcement Directorate.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta seeks to present documents to the Supreme Court in a sealed cover, a move objected by Kapil Sibal.

“How do I respond when I do not know what is being used against me,” says Sibal. The ED leaked the counter affidavit to the media yesterday, he alleges.

Tushar Mehta objects to this. “We did not leak the affidavit to the media,” he says. It was leaked after it was served to Chidambaram’s lawyers, he says.

The Supreme Court has dismissed P Chidambaram's appeal against Delhi High Court's order declining him anticipatory bail in the INX Media corruption case.

The apex court says since Chidambaram has been arrested, the appeal has become infructuous, and that his lawyers are at liberty to file a regular bail application. These bail applications will be heard uninfluenced by observations made by the Delhi High Court.

Chidambaram is also at liberty to seek appropriate remedy in accordance with the provisions of the law, the Supreme Court says.

The appeal for Chidambaram’s anticipatory bail is not infructuous, says Abhishek Manu Singhvi, arguing for the former finance minister in Supreme Court. “CBI had no right to go for arrest when the appeal against it was pending in the Supreme Court.”

“The allegations relate to events of 2007-2008. I came to this court on that very day the judge passed the order. The order was passed for hearing but I have not been heard,” says Sibal. “I had a right to be heard before the order was passed. The court needs to protect my right guaranteed under Article 21.”

Sibal and Singhvi are counsels for Chidambaram in the INX Media cases.

Supreme Court Justice Banumathi says the matter regarding Chidambaram’s CBI custody became infructuous as he had already been arrested in the INX Media corruption case.

In response, Kapil Sibal says, “If (P Chidambaram’s) arrest had taken place and I had filed it later, the petition against Delhi High Court would be infructuous. I have a right under law to be heard.” ANI

Chidambaram's plea challenging a trial court's order remanding him to Central Bureau of Investigation’s custody in the INX Media case has not been listed for hearing today despite the Supreme Court’s direction on Aug. 23.

Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Chidambaram, mentioned the matter before a bench headed by Justice R Banumathi and said that during the hearing on Friday, the court had said that the plea challenging the remand order would be taken up for hearing today but it has not been listed for arguments.

The bench told Sibal that Chidambaram's plea will be listed for hearing after the registry gets necessary orders from Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi. "The registry has some difficulty and we have to take orders from Chief Justice," the bench told Sibal.

Chidambaram's pleas challenging the Delhi High Court's August 28 order dismissing his anticipatory bail in the INX media corruption and money laundering cases, lodged by CBI and ED are listed for hearing in the apex court today. PTI

The Supreme Court tells Chidambaram’s counsel Kapil Sibal that the registry will do the needful regarding listing of the case. Sibal had told the Supreme Court that his plea against the trial court's remand order, in relation to the INX Media case, has not been listed for hearing on Monday. ANI

Chidambaram's counsel Kapil Sibal tells Supreme Court that his plea against the trial court's remand order, in relation to the INX Media case, has not been listed for hearing on Monday, despite the apex court's direction. The Supreme Court, in turn, tells him that his plea would be listed for hearing after necessary orders from the Chief Justice of India. PTI

The Supreme Court is scheduled today to hear former Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram's pleas challenging the Delhi High Court's order, which denied him anticipatory bail in the INX Media cases.

A bench headed by Justice R Banumathi is also scheduled to hear a fresh plea of Chidambaram in which he has challenged the arrest warrant issued against him and the trial court's order remanding him to Central Bureau of Investigation’s custody till Monday in the INX Media corruption case. (Read more)