Supreme Court grants bail to P Chidambaram in INX Media case
04 Dec 2019
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The Supreme Court has granted bail to Congress leader and former union finance minister P Chidambaram’ in the in the money laundering case linked to the INX Media scam.
P Chidambaram, arrested from his Jor Bagh house in central Delhi in August by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), the economic offenses wing of the finance ministry.
The former finance minister is currently lodged in Tihar Jail.
A Supreme Court bench comprising Justices R Banumathi, AS Bopanna and Hrishikesh Roy today granted bail to Chidambaram in the INX Media money laundering case lodged by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), according to news agency ANI.
The bench, while granting Chidambaram bail in the INX Media case, said the “complicity of accused will have to be established in trial.”
The court said Chidambaram has to cooperate with the investigation and cannot leave country without permission by special judge. The apex court also restrained Chidambaram from giving press interviews or making statements with regard to the case.
Chidambaram has also been asked to furnish bail bond of Rs2 lakh plus two sureties of same amount. Chidambaram cannot also travel abroad without the court's permission.
The apex court directed the SC Registry to accept three sets of sealed covers from the ED and keep them in safe custody for the perusal of the court.
The Supreme Court had, on 28 November, reserved an order on the petition filed by Chidambaram.
The Delhi High Court had, on 15 November, dismissed his bail plea. Chidambaram sought bail in a case pertaining to the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance given to INX Media for investment amounting to Rs305 crore in 2007 during his tenure as finance minister.
CBI had registered a corruption case in this regard in May 2017. Later that year, the ED also lodged a money laundering case.
The Congress leader was first arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on 21 August in the INX Media corruption case but was granted bail by the Supreme Court two months later.
Minutes after the Supreme Court granted bail to former finance minister in the INX Media case, his son Karti Chidambaram took to Twitter to express relief.
“Phew. At last after 106 days,” tweeted Karti, a member of Parliament from Tamil Nadu’s Sivaganga district.
