Common Man's Liberty No Less Than Chidambaram's: Solicitor General Tushar Mehta

The Solicitor General submitted that the issue be addressed to the agency and 10 days be granted in order to file a reply on the same.

The personal liberty of a common man is no less vital than former Union Minister P. Chidambaram's bail plea, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta argued a court here on Monday. (PTI)

New Delhi: The personal liberty of a common man is no less vital than former Union Minister P. Chidambaram's bail plea, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta argued a court here on Monday. "Personal liberty of a common man, a rickshaw puller, is no less less important than bail application that it doesn't require notice for at least 24 hours," he submitted before Special CBI Judge Ajay Kumar Kuhar. Mehta's comment came in during the hearing at the end of the CBI custody of the former Finance Minister whose lawyers were pressing for a bail hearing at the earliest. The Solicitor General submitted that the issue be addressed to the agency and 10 days be granted in order to file a reply on the same. During the hearing, there was confusion on whether the bail hearing was to be decided on Monday itself or the time could be granted to the agencies to file their reply. At this, Mehta argued that had it been a common man, such early hearing would not have been granted to him in the case of pre-arrest bail. "The remand order was challenged in the Supreme Court and heard today. Interim bail was not granted," he said. "I made a statement at 3.30 p.m. today before the Supreme Court requesting it post the matter for hearing tomorrow (Tuesday) so that their SLP does not get infructuous." After taking note of the submissions of both the sides, the judge extended the CBI custody for one day and listed the bail hearing for Tuesday.