Senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram on Monday moved the Supreme Court challenging the Delhi High Court’s order dismissing his bail petition in the INX Media money-laundering case. A bench headed by Chief Justice S.A. Bobde, who was administered the oath of office by President Ram Nath Kovind earlier in the day, was told by senior advocate Kapil Sibal that Chidambaram was in jail for around 90 days and his bail plea be heard either on Tuesday or Wednesday.
“We will see,” the bench told Sibal. The Delhi High Court had on Friday dismissed Chidambaram’s bail plea in the case filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), saying prima facie allegations against him are serious in nature and he played an “active and key role” in the offence.Chidambaram was first arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on August 21 in the INX Media corruption case and was granted bail by the Supreme Court on October 22.
The case was registered by the CBI on May 15, 2017, alleging irregularities in a Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance granted to the INX Media group for receiving overseas funds of Rs 305 crore in 2007, during Chidambaram’s tenure as finance minister. Thereafter, the ED had lodged a money-laundering case in this regard in 2017.
