Hearing the former finance minister P Chidambaram’s plea challenging the rejection of his request for protection from arrest in the INX Media case, the Supreme Court Friday posted the hearing in both INX media cases by CBI and ED for Monday.
The top court, however, granted the Congress leader interim protection from arrest in ED case till the next date of hearing. While his five-day CBI custody ends on Monday.
Earlier on Thursday, a special court sent former Chidambaram in CBI custody till August 26. The court had observed that the allegations against Chidambaram are “serious in nature” for which a “detailed and in-depth investigation is required.”
Besides, the Delhi High Court on Tuesday had denied his request for anticipatory bail, after which the senior Congress leader was arrested by the CBI on Wednesday night.
Chidambaram had approached the apex court on Wednesday for an urgent hearing, but repeated attempts by his lawyers to get a hearing on the same day failed and the case was scheduled for Friday. The same evening, he was arrested from his home in south Delhi amid high drama.
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CBI registered a first information report on May 15, 2017, alleging irregularities in the manner the clearance had been awarded. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) filed a money laundering case a year later.
Chidambaram has been accused of facilitating, as the country’s Finance Minister, a huge infusion of foreign funds into a television company, INX Media, in 2007 at the instance of his son Karti Chidambaram, who allegedly received bribe for his role.