The Supreme Court on Tuesday granted bail to former Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram in connection with the INX Media case registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The Congress leader will however continue to be in the custody of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) which too had filed a money-laundering case pertaining to INX Media.
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. On October 18, the court had reserved its order on the former minister's plea. The leader would have to be available for interrogation. He may be released, provided he is not arrested in any other case, reports said.
The CBI had opposed the bail plea alleging that Chidambaram was a 'flight risk' and had tried to "pressurise and influence" key witnesses.
The 74-year-old leader was arrested on August 21 by the CBI from his Jog Bar residence in Delhi. Following 15 days of CBI custody, he was sent to Tihar Jail on September 5. Last week, he was sent to the ED’s custody in the INX Media case.
Earlier last week, the CBI filed a chargesheet in the case after first registering a case in 2017, charging P Chidambaram and his son Karti P Chidambaram along with other government officials. The chargesheet reportedly stated that Indrani Mukerjea allegedly paid a bribe of USD 5 million to the father-son duo through offshore payments. Indrani and Peter, directors of INX Media Private Limited, had reportedly received foreign investment Rs 403.07 crore against approved foreign direct investment (FDI) of Rs 4.62 crore.
The agency filed a chargesheet against four entities and ten people 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.