INX Media: Delhi HC issues notice in P Chidambaram bail plea in ED case

The Delhi High Court today issued notice in the plea filed by former Union Minister P Chidambaram for regular bail plea in the INX Media case being probed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED)..On October 17, the Special CBI Court at Rouse Avenue had remanded Chidambaram to ED custody till October 24 in the money laundering case filed against the Senior Advocate..The INX Media case pertains to the alleged irregularities in the Foreign Investment Promotion Board clearance to INX Media when P Chidambaram was the Finance Minister of India..It is the case of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the ED that P Chidambaram and his son Karti Chidambaram received illegal gratification from INX Media owners Peter and Indrani Mukherjea for the clearance..Chidambaram has claimed that his arrest was malafide and done with the intention to harm his reputation..Thus, he has argued that he should be enlarged on bail as there is no incriminating evidence against him..Stating that he has “deep roots in the society”, Chidambaram has argued that he has no propensity to evade the process of law and has always been available for the investigation..The petition filed through Advocate Arshdeep Singh also points out that all other accused in the case are already on bail..Counsel for Chidambaram today brought to the Court’s notice that the Supreme Court while granting bail to him in the CBI case has observed that he was not a flight risk and that there was no threat of evidence tampering or influencing witness..Earlier this week, the Supreme Court had granted regular bail to Chidambaram in the CBI case. .Between May 2018 and August 2019, Chidambaram had been enjoying interim protection from arrest given by the Delhi High Court. However, on the night of August 21, Chidambaram was arrested after his plea for anticipatory bail was rejected by the Delhi High Court..Chidambaram, who spent a fortnight in police custody after his arrest, was thereafter remanded to judicial custody..He was arrested by the ED on October 16..Chidambaram was represented by Senior Advocates Abhishek Manu Singhvi and N Hariharan, Dayan Krishnan. .The matter will be heard next on November 4.