The Supreme Court on Tuesday granted bail to Congress leader P. Chidambaram in the INX Media case registered by the CBI. The apex court ordered that Chidambaram can be released provided he is not arrested in any other case and on the personal bond of Rs 1 lakh. He has to make himself available for interrogation, the court said.
The bench, comprising justices R. Banumathi, A.S. Bopanna and Hrishikesh Roy, said he was not required in any other case, but barred him from flying abroad. He has been ordered to submit his passport at the trial court. Chidambaram is currently in the custody of Enforcement Directorate till October 24 in the INX Media case.
The former Union minister, who has been in custody since August 21, moved the apex court challenging the Delhi High Court's verdict denying him bail in the INX Media corruption case.
The CBI had registered an FIR on May 15, 2017 alleging irregularities in a Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance granted to INX Media group for receiving overseas funds of Rs 305 crore in 2007, during Chidambaram's tenure as the finance minister.
Thereafter, the ED lodged a money laundering case in this regard in 2017.
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The 74-year-old senior Congress leader approached the apex court challenging the September 30 verdict of the high court which had dismissed his bail plea in the INX Media corruption case, filed by the CBI, saying the probe was at an advanced stage and the possibility of his influencing the witnesses cannot be ruled out.
Senior advocates Kapil Sibal and A.M. Singhvi, appearing for the senior Congress leader, had argued in the top court that Chidambaram should be granted bail in the case as he was neither a 'flight risk' and nor there was any possibility of him tampering with the evidence.
They had also argued that there were no allegations against Chidambaram that he or his family members had ever tried to influence any witnesses in the case.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for CBI, had opposed his plea seeking bail and said that he had tried to influence and intimidate witnesses related to the case. Terming Chidambaram as a 'flight risk', Mehta had argued that he has wherewithal to flee the country and can easily survive in any foreign nation.
He had told the bench that 14 accused, including Chidambaram and his son Karti, have been chargesheeted in the case and offence of forgery has also been made out during the probe.
(WIth PTI inputs)
