INX Media Case: Supreme Court To Hear Chidambaram’s Bail Plea On Wednesday

The Supreme Court has decided to hear on Wednesday the bail plea of senior Congress leader P Chidambaram in the INX Media money-laundering case.

Chidambaram approached the apex court challenging the judgement of the Delhi High Court denying him bail in the money laundering case lodged by the Enforcement Directorate.

A bench, headed by newly-sworn-in Chief Justice of India SA Bobde, on Monday ordered the listing of the bail plea before an appropriate bench on Wednesday.

"List on Nov. 20, before an appropriate bench, subject to curing of defects," the bench said in its order uploaded late evening.

Earlier in the day, senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Chidambaram, sought urgent listing of the bail plea.

Sibal told the bench, also comprising justices BR Gavai and Surya Kant, that Chidambaram had been in jail for around 90 days.

"We will see," the bench told Sibal, adding that the bail plea would come up for hearing either on Tuesday or Wednesday.

The Delhi High Court had on Nov. 15 dismissed Chidambaram''s bail plea in the case filed by the ED, saying prima facie allegations against him were serious in nature and he played an "active and key role" in the offence.

Chidambaram was first arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation on Aug. 21 in the INX Media corruption case and was granted bail by the Supreme Court on Oct. 22.

Chidambaram, who was arrested by the ED in the money laundering case on Oct. 16, is presently in judicial custody till Nov. 27 under the order of a trial court.

The CBI had registered the case on May 15, 2017, alleging irregularities in a Foreign Investment Promotion Board clearance granted to the INX Media group for receiving overseas funds of Rs 305 crore in 2007 during Chidambaram's tenure as the Union finance minister.

Thereafter, the ED had lodged a money laundering case in this regard in the same year.