Major Setback For Chidambaram As SC Rejects His Anticipatory Bail Plea In ED's INX Media Case

The apex court said “Granting anticipatory bail at the initial stage may frustrate the investigation....It’s not a fit case to grant anticipatory bail. Economic offences stand at the different footing and it has to be dealt with a different approach."

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday rejected an appeal of Congress leader P Chidambaram against the Delhi High Court’s order rejecting his anticipatory bail plea in a case being probed by Enforcement Directorate (ED) in INX Media case. A bench headed by Justice R. Banumathi said: "This is not a fit case for grant of anticipatory bail. Investigating agency has to be given enough freedom to probe." The court, making an observation on the economic offences, said these offences are serious in nature and anticipatory bail has to be an exception when the investigation are ongoing in such cases.approach." The court also said thatr P Chidambaram can move regular bail application before the trial court, for regular bail. Chidambaram's 15-day CBI custody, ordered by the special court in five spells, which started after his arrest on August 21 night, comes to an end today. His fate will also be decided by the trial court which reserved order on anticipatory bail applications in the cases registered by the CBI and the ED in the Aircel-Maxis deal scam. In the Supreme Court, a bench of Justices R Banumathi and A S Bopanna, had reserved orders on August 29 on the Chidambaram's plea in the ED case. While reserving the orders the bench had said it would decide on the question whether to look into the documents placed before it by the ED in a sealed cover. "Whether to look into the documents will depend on the decision of the court," the bench had said and added that if it decides not to look into the document, then entire documents will be returned to the ED as it is. The top court had directed the ED to produce the documents in a sealed cover with the authenticated seal of the Directorate of Enforcement. Chidambaram, who was arrested on August 21, is in the CBI custody till tomorrow in INX Media corruption case. He is likely to be produced before the special judge on expiry of his remand period. The top court had on September 3 ordered that Chidambaram would remain in the CBI custody till September 5 despite the probe agency insisting that it did not require his further custodial interrogation. CBI had lodged an FIR on May 15, 2017, alleging irregularities in FIPB clearance granted to INX Media group for receiving overseas funds of Rs 305 crore in 2007 during Chidambaram's tenure as finance minister. Thereafter, ED lodged a money laundering case in 2017. The Delhi High Court had on August 20, rejected anticipatory bail pleas of Chidambaram in the INX media scam cases lodged by CBI and ED.