Chidambaram moves Supreme Court seeking bail in INX Media case

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, Oct 03, 2019: Senior Congress leader and former Union finance minister P Chidambaram, who has been in judicial custody following his arrest by the CBI in the INX Media case, moved the Supreme Court Thursday seeking bail in the case. The development comes four days after the Delhi High Court denied bail to him on the ground that the possibility of him not influencing witnesses while out on bail, directly or indirectly, cannot be ruled out, Yahooo reported.

 

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing Chidambaram, mentioned the matter for urgent listing before a bench headed by Justice N V Ramana. The bench, also comprising justices Sanjiv Khanna and Krishna Murari, said that Chidambaram’s plea would be sent to Chief Justice of India (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi for taking a call on the listing of the matter.

On Monday, Justice Suresh Kumar Kait said: A murder may be committed in the heat of moment upon passions being aroused. However, an economic offence is committed with cool calculation and deliberate design with an eye on personal profit, regardless of the consequence to the community.

The CBI had urged the High Court not to grant bail to Chidambaram, saying the lawmakers cannot become lawbreakers and enjoy impunity .

Senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for Chidambaram, opposed the CBI s contention saying offences of cheating and criminal conspiracy alleged against Chidambaram are not grave in nature and he should be released on bail . The senior counsels submitted that the offences for which Chidambaram has been booked carry only a punishment of up to 7-year imprisonment.

The CBI has said that according to the investigation so far, Chidambaram, while working as finance minister, demanded illegal gratification against which payments were made in India as well as overseas to him and his son Karti Chidambaram.

The investigating agency has claimed that the payments were made by other co-accused Indrani Mukerjea and Peter Mukerjea from various bank accounts maintained in the country as well as abroad in connection with FIPB approval. They are alos accused of amicably resolving/settling down issues relating to violation of Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) by their company M/s INX Media Pvt Ltd and INX News Pvt Ltd.

Probing charges of corruption in the INX Media case, the CBI had arrested Chidambaram on August 21 night. The next day he was remanded in CBI custody. He is now in judicial custody in Tihar Jail.

Meanwhile, on Tuesday, Chidambaram moved an application before a Delhi court asking it to allow Tihar Jail authorities to permit him to get home-cooked food at least once every day.