INX Media case: CBI get Chidambaram for another day, bail plea tomorrow

The Supreme Court on Monday said senior Congress leader and former Home Minister P Chidambaram need not be sent to Tihar Jail on the expiry of his CBI's custody, which is ending today (September 2) in the INX media case.

Meanwhile, after an urgent mentioning by the Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, the top court has listed the matter for Tuesday (tomorrow) and also granted Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) the liberty to move lower court seeking the extension of P Chidambaram's remand till tomorrow as it is expiring today.

The Court had earlier asked P Chidambaram to appeal in a trial court for his interim bail and said that it will hear the matter again on Thursday. But after solicitor General request, the court agreed to hear the matter the on September 3.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta in the court said that the 15-day custody expired tomorrow and the trial court won't have jurisdiction to extend custody till Thursday, therefore, he requested the court to list the case for Tuesday instead of Thursday.

The Apex court had also said that P Chidambaram's CBI custody will be extended till Thursday (September 5) if his interim bail plea is rejected by the trial court.

Earlier during the hearing in the Apex court, P Chidambaram's lawyer and Congress leader Kapil Sibal in Supreme Court during hearing against Chidambaram's police remand and issuance of non-bailable warrant said that he (P Chidambaram) is a 74-year-old man, put him under house arrest, no prejudice will be caused to anyone.

A special court will hear the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Central Bureau of Investigation's arguments and submission in anticipatory bail plea moved by P Chidambaram and his son Karti Chidambaram in connection with the Aircel-Maxis case on September 2.

Earlier, District Judge OP Saini has extended the interim protection from the arrest of father-son duo till September 3 and reserved its order on the anticipatory bail petition. The court was irked by the agencies for seeking further adjournment in the case. The court reserved the order on the pre-arrest bail after the two probe agencies had sought a fresh date to present their arguments.

On August 1, Kapil Sibal, while arguing for the anticipatory bail of the duo, had contended that the investigation in the case stands completed and that the charge sheet has also been filed by both the agencies.

"Karti was called for questioning eight times in 2018 and four times in 2019 by the ED, while his father has only been called once by the CBI in 2014. The agencies cannot say that my client has not cooperated with them," Sibal had said. He had said that if later the agencies find a ground, they can move a cancellation application."

"How many times will they seek adjournment? They have no grounds to prove that my client has done anything wrong. The agencies are making allegations without producing anything," the counsel had said.

The case, which is being probed by the CBI and ED, relates to alleged irregularities in grant of Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) approval in the Aircel-Maxis deal.

The FIPB approval was allegedly granted in 2006 when Chidambaram was the Union finance minister.

According to rules and foreign direct investment (FDI) policy of the Central government, Chidambaram was only empowered to give approval to proposals involving foreign investment up to Rs 600 crore.