In a major setback to former Finance Minister P Chidambaram, the Supreme Court today refused to entertain Congress leader P Chidambaram’s plea challenging the dismissal of his anticipatory bail in a corruption case lodged by the Central Bureau of Investigation(CBI) in the INX media case.
The apex court said his petition has become infructuous as Chidambaram has already been arrested by the CBI. A bench comprising justices R Banumathi and A S Bopanna said Chidambaram is at liberty to seek a remedy in accordance with the law. Chidambaram, whose CBI custody is ending today, will be produced before the trial court where the agency can further seek his custody.
INX Media Scam
In May last year, the Enforcement Directorate had filed a case against Karti Chidambaram alleging irregularities in the grant of Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance to INX Media for receiving foreign investment of over Rs. 300 crore in 2007 when P Chidambaram was the union finance minister.
Karti Chidambaram is accused of taking a Rs.10 lakh bribe in the case. Based on information about alleged illegal payments made by INX media, the CBI filed a separate case against Mr Chidambaram and others.
The FIR filed by the CBI on May 15 last says that Karti had brokered for the Peter and Indrani Mukherjee couple-owned INX Media Private Limited (INX) for issue of foreign investment permits by his father’s ministry, for which payments were made by INX to Advantage Strategic Consultancy Private Limited (Advantage India), with its subsidiary in Singapore (Advantage Singapore).
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