INX Media Case: Supreme Court To Hear Chidambaram’s Plea Against Bail Order Today

The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear today 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.

The apex court had on Friday granted Chidambaram protection from arrest till Monday in the INX Media money-laundering case lodged by the Enforcement Directorate. The court has sought replies from ED on Chidambaram's plea and directed that all the three matters should be listed on Monday.

Chidambaram has contended that it is violation of his Fundamental Right under Article 21 of the Constitution, that his petition challenging the high court order was not heard by the apex court on July 20 and 21 and he was arrested on the night of Aug. 21.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for ED, had said that lot of "hue and cry" and "political vendetta" is alleged by the petitioner (Chidambaram) and his party colleagues but "I am saying with a great sense of responsibility that this is a case of money laundering of a monumental magnitude".

"CBI has recorded statement of Indrani Mukherjea, which will be tested in the trial, that she and her husband Peter had gone to Chidambaram for FIPB approval and he (Chidambaram) had asked them to take care of his son," Mehta had argued.

Indrani and Peter Mukherjea are the former promoters of INX Media and are currently lodged in jail for the murder of the former’s daughter.

CBI had on May 15, 2017, filed a First Investigation Report on alleged irregularities in FIPB clearances granted to INX Media for receiving overseas funds of Rs 305 crore in 2007 during Chidambaram's tenure as finance minister.

Thereafter, the ED lodged a money-laundering case in 2017.

CBI arrested Chidambaram from his Jor Bagh residence in New Delhi on Aug. 21 in the corruption case and was produced before a trial court on Aug. 22. He was remanded to a four-day CBI custody till Aug. 26.