The Supreme Court on Wednesday said the plea of former Union minister and Congress leader P. Chidambaram in the INX Media case would be listed for hearing by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi.
The legal team for Chidambaram filed a special leave petition in the Supreme Court, seeking interim relief against the Delhi High Court order that had ruled against anticipatory bail for him. Justice N.V. Ramanna before whom Chidambaram's petition came up, refused to pass an order granting interim protection from arrest to Chidambaram. He added he would ask Gogoi to take up Chidambaram's plea on Wednesday itself.
On Tuesday, the Delhi High Court had refused to grant protection against arrest to Chidambaram in the case.
The legal team of Chidambaram was led by senior lawyer and Congress leader Kapil Sibal. Chidambaram had on Tuesday unsuccessfully sought an audience with Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi for an urgent hearing of his appeal against the Delhi High Court order.
The CBI had issued a notice to Chidambaram on Tuesday to appear before its investigation officer. The CBI issued another notice to Chidambaram on Wednesday morning after not finding him at his Delhi residence. Chidambaram's legal team had argued the CBI notices to him did not specify the legal provisions under which he was being summoned and had asked not to take any coercive action against him till his plea was heard in the Supreme Court.
The CBI had registered an FIR against Chidambaram in May 2017, alleging irregularities in issuance of foreign investment clearance to the INX Media group in 2007 when Chidambaram was finance minister in the UPA government. The clearance was granted for INX Media to receive foreign funds of Rs 305 crore.
The Enforcement Directorate lodged a money laundering case in the INX media case in 2018.
