The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed the plea filed by P Chidambaram challenging the Delhi High Court order that rejected his Anticipatory Bail in the INX Media Scam which is being probed by CBI. The apex court directed the former Union minister to move for regular bail before the appropriate court as his present application become infructuous following his arrest on 21 August.
Earlier Chidambaram, now in the CBI custody in connection with the INX media case, on Monday moved the Supreme Court after his plea challenging his being sent to judicial custody by the trial court had not been listed in the highest court despite the bench last week announcing the next hearing for today.
Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for P Chidambaram, mentioned the matter before a bench headed by Justice R Banumathi and reminded the court that last Friday, the court had announced the plea challenging the remand order would be taken up on Monday. The bench then told Sibal that the “registry had some difficulties and orders have to come from the Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi”. Another plea of Chidambaram is also listed in the apex court today, this time against an Enforcement Directorate (ED) order.
Chidambaram’s five-day CBI custody ends today. The CBI is likely to ask for an extension of his custody at a special court. The CBI is likely to argue that new evidence has come to light during his interrogation in the past four days. Chidambaram is accused by the CBI of facilitating a huge infusion of foreign funds into the media company INX Media in 2007 – when he was finance minister – at the instance of his son Karti Chidambaram, who allegedly received kickbacks for his role. Chidambaram and his son were named by INX Media co-founders Peter and Indrani Mukerjea, who are in jail in Mumbai for the murder of Indrani’s daughter Sheena Bora. Indrani Mukerjea, who turned approver in the case, reportedly revealed details of her meeting with the Chidambarams.
—India Legal Bureau