SC grants interim protection to Chidambaram in ED case; no relief in CBI matter

The Supreme Court today granted protection to former finance minister P Chidambaram against arrest by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case lodged by ED in the INX media

The Supreme Court today granted protection to former finance minister P Chidambaram against arrest by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case lodged by ED in the INX media case.

The relief would be there till August 26 when the case would be taken up for hearing again. However, Chidambaram continues to be in CBI custody as the apex court did not intervene in the CBI case.

A special CBI court had on Thursday remanded the former finance minister to CBI cusotdy for five days ending August 26.

Today the apex court was hearing two separate petitions filed by Chidambaram challenging Delhi High Court’s August 20 verdict that dismissed his plea for anticipatory bail in the cases registered by both ED and CBI. The Surpreme Court would now take up both the cases on Monday.

Chidambaram has been accused of facilitating a huge infusion of foreign funds into a television company, INX Media, in 2007 at the behest of his son Karti Chidambaram, who allegedly received kickbacks for this.

At the time, he was the country’s finance minister in the UPA government. Chidambaram has denied any wrongdoing.

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