INX Media Case: ED Issues Fresh Lookout Circular Against Chidambaram To Restrict Movement

ED said the alert notice against the Congress leader has been sent to all land, air and seaports and law enforcement agencies at these facilities.

CBI notice pasted on the boundary wall of the former union finance minister and Congress leader P Chidambaram's residence, in New Delhi, Wednesday.

New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday issued a fresh look out circular against former finance minister P Chidambaram in connection with the INX Media money laundering case. As per ABP News sources, Chidambaram's driver was also questioned by the agencies today. ED said that the alert notice against the Congress leader has been sent to all land, air and seaports and law enforcement agencies at these facilities. It says the ED should be alerted in case the person is found on their premises. It also asks them to not allow the Congress leader to cross the Indian border without the permission of the ED. The officials further said that this is a preventive measure exercised by the agency as Chidambaram's whereabouts are not known at present and he is required by them to take the probe forward in the INX Media case, being investigated under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Earlier today, the Supreme Court said senior Congress leader P Chidambaram's plea challenging the Delhi High Court order dismissing his petition for pre-arrest bail in the INX media case will be put before the CJI to consider for urgent listing. His anticipatory bail was cancelled by the court. Chidambaram's petition seeking protection from arrest was mentioned before a bench comprising Justices N V Ramana, M Shantanagoudar and Ajay Rastogi who said the case will be put before CJI Ranjan Gogoi. In his petition in the Supreme Court, Chidambaram said that the high court's observation that he was the "kingpin" in the INX Media case was completely baseless and that the FIR was "politically motivated and an act of vendetta". "The Judge's observation that the petitioner is the kingpin i.e. the key conspirator in this case is completely baseless and supported by no material whatsoever. The judge has ignored the crucial fact that the petitioner simply approved the unanimous recommendation of the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) which was chaired by Secretary, Economic Affairs and consisted of five other Secretaries to the Government of India," he said in the petition. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) today also filed a caveat (court can't pass any order without hearing the party filing it) in the Supreme Court, in the petition filed by P Chidambaram seeking protection from arrest. (agency inputs)