Former Finance Minister P Chidambaram on Wednesday moved the Delhi High Court seeking bail in the INX Media money laundering case being probed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
The Supreme Court had on Tuesday granted bail to Chidambaram in the INX Media corruption case being probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), but he could not walk free as he continues to remain in ED custody till Thursday, October 24. The order was delivered by a bench of Justices R Banumathi, AS Bopanna and Hrishikesh Roy, which directed him not to leave the country without permission. The court also directed Chidambaram to furnish a personal bond of Rs 1 lakh and two sureties of like amount each. The leader would have to be available for interrogation.
Chidambaram is being probed for his alleged involvement in irregularities in granting of Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) approval to INX Media during his term as Finance Minister.
On October 16, while in judicial custody inside Tihar Jail, he was arrested under sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) by the ED officials. On October 17, a Delhi Court remanded him to ED custody till October 24.
The CBI opposed Chidambaram's bail plea in the INX Media corruption case, claiming that he had tried to "pressurise and influence" key witnesses.
Chidambaram was arrested on August 21 in the CBI case. The CBI filed a chargesheet against four entities and ten people, including Chidambaram and his son MP Karti Chidambaram, under sections 120B (criminal conspiracy), 420 (cheating), 468 (forgery), 471 (signing a forged document as genuine) of Indian Penal Code and section 9 (taking gratification, for exercise of personal influence with public servant), 13(1)(d) (abusing one's position as a public servant) of 13(2) (public servant who commits criminal misconduct) of Prevention of Corruption Act.
(With IANS input)