The Supreme Court on Thursday reserved its judgement for September 4 on the appeal of senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram against the Delhi High Court’s order rejecting his anticipatory plea in the INX Media money laundering case probed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). Consequently, the interim protection from arrest for Chidambaram will be extended till the order is passed. Chidambaram has been in CBI custody in the INX Media case since August 21.
Earlier in the day, arguing on behalf of ED, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the court that money laundering was an offence against "society and nation" and said it needed custodial interrogation of former finance minister P Chidambaram to unearth the larger conspiracy in the case.
The Enforcement Directorate told a bench of Justices R. Banumathi and A.S. Bopanna that it cannot show the material collected during the probe to Chidambaram at this stage as the evidence related to money trail of layers of money might be erased.
A week ago, the Supreme Court temporarily restrained the Enforcement Directorate from arresting Chidambaram in the case till it finished hearing his petition.
Since Tuesday, the bench of Justices R. Banumathi and A.S. Bopanna had been hearing arguments by Chidambaram's legal team and Solicitor General Tushar Mehta in the case. The legal team of Chidambaram, which includes Kapil Sibal and Abhishek Singhvi, had argued that the former minister was being subjected to a “witch-hunt” as the Enforcement Directorate had not shared details of evidence collected against him.
However, on Wednesday, Mehta had denied the accusations and declared Chidambaram was “playing the victim card” to prevent being arrested. Mehta even claimed money laundering from the INX Media case was “still going on”. Mehta referred to details about bank accounts and properties abroad and said arresting Chidambaram was essential.
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Mehta said the Enforcement Directorate was not sharing details of evidence with Chidambaram as it was “sensitive” in nature. "We will put it to accused during custodial interrogation. We do not arrest an accused to have a cup of tea with him," Mehta said.
The Supreme Court was hearing a plea filed by Chidambaram who challenged the August 20 verdict of the Delhi High Court that denied him anticipatory bail in the INX Media corruption and money laundering cases lodged by the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate, respectively.
The CBI had lodged an FIR on May 15, 2017, alleging irregularities in 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 finance minister. Thereafter, the ED lodged a money laundering case.
