New Delhi: After remaining behind the bars for 106 days, former Finance Minister and senior Congress leader P Chidambaram walked out of the Tihar jail on Wednesday evening after Supreme Court granted him bail in the INX Media money laundering case registered by the Enforcement Directorate. Supporters of Chidambaram reached Tihar jail in heavy numbers to welcome their leaders and escorted him home. The development came hours after Chidambaram was granted bail by the apex court but also asked him to surrender his passport, make himself available for questioning and not influence witnesses.

The former FM was granted bail by the top court on condition of either not giving any press interviews or making public comments regarding him or other co-accused in the INX Media money laundering case. "The appellant (Chidambaram) shall not give any press interviews nor make any public comment in connection with this case qua him or other co -accused," a bench comprising Justices R Banumathi, A S Bopanna and Hrishikesh Roy said.

The apex court set aside the November 15 verdict of the Delhi High Court denying him bail in the case. SC granted bail to Chidambaram on a personal bond of Rs 2 lakh with two sureties of like amount. The apex court has, however, said that the Congress leader will not leave the country without prior permission of the court.

WATCH | First Visuals Of P Chidambaram Walking Out Of Tihar Jail After 106 Days Of Imprisonment



Chidambaram was in custody since August 21 when he was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the INX Media corruption case. On October 16, the ED arrested him in the money-laundering case. Six days later, on October 22, the apex court had granted him bail in the case lodged by the CBI.

The CBI had registered its case on May 15, 2017, alleging irregularities in a Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance granted to the INX Media group for receiving overseas funds of Rs 305 crore in 2007 during Chidambaram's tenure as finance minister. The ED lodged a money laundering case after that.

Minutes after the SC’s decision Karti Chidambaram took to Twitter to announce about Chidambaram’s bail. “Phew. At last after 106 days,” he tweeted. Chidambaram’s family and his party have alleged that his arrest was an attempt to silence a prominent opposition voice, a charge that the government has refuted.

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Earlier in the day, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari reacted to Chidambaram's bail granted by SC and reminded the Congress that the court was yet to pronounce him innocent. The senior Congress leader is being probed for his alleged involvement in irregularities in grant of Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) approval to INX Media during his term as the Finance Minist