Interim bail for P Chidambaram denied; CBI, ED look for him at his residence
New Delhi : The Delhi High Court on Tuesday denied an interim bail to senior Congress leader P Chidambaram in a case of irregularities in foreign investment received by the INX Media Private Limited when he was Finance Minister of India.
P Chidambaram, immediately knocked the doors of Supreme Court. The apex body will hear him on Wednesday. Officials of the Central Bureau of Investigations (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) visited his residence to arrest him but he was not available there.
After two applications for anticipatory bail by Chidambaram were dismissed by Delhi high court justice Sunil Gaur, his lawyer Kapil Sibal, another senior Congress leader, approached the apex court seeking an urgent hearing, and was informed by the court registrar to bring the matter before justice NV Ramana on Wednesday.
“Magnitude and enormity of material produced disentitle the petitioner [Chidambaram] from any pre-arrest bail,” the court said.
“I have pondered over this matter for long and after weighing the pros and cons, I am of the considered view that the gravity of the offence committed in the instant case amply justifies denial of pre-arrest bail to the petitioner. Grant of pre-arrest bail in serious matter like instant one to an accused simply on the ground that investigation is complete and charge sheet has been filed, would defeat the ends of justice,” added the unusually strongly worded judgment for an anticipatory bail matter.
Chidambaram, who is a member of the Rajya Sabha, requested the court to give him three days’ interim protection from arrest to enable him to file an appeal.
According to a report by Hindustan Times, the Congress in defence for its leader will cite three grounds in arguing for protection from arrest when it makes its case in the Supreme Court — that Chidambaram cannot be termed a flight risk, that he cannot be said to be tampering with evidence, and he has responded to all the summons issued by investigators.
