Chidambaram to remain in CBI custody till tomorrow

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 3 

The Supreme Court today said the CBI custody of former Finance Minister P Chidambaram would continue till September 5 in the INX Media corruption case.

A Bench, headed by Justice R Banumathi, asked Chidambaram’s counsel not to press till September 5 his interim bail plea before the trial court which was to take it up on Tuesday itself.

The Bench — which also included Justice AS Bopanna — said it would hear on Thursday his plea challenging the trial court’s orders remanding him to the CBI custody. It’s also scheduled to pronounce orders on his plea on pre-arrest bail in a money laundering case relating to the the INX Media scam.  Later, a Delhi court remanded Chidambaram to two more days of CBI custody in the case.

Minutes after the former Finance Minister came out of the courtroom, he took a dig at the NDA government over the GDP dropping to an over six-year low of 5 per cent in the April-June quarter when journalists asked him about his CBI custody. “Five per cent… Do you know what is 5 per cent?” he said while showing five fingers as CBI men took him away.

Earlier, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta — representing the CBI — told the top court, “If we don’t take his custody then the law must take its course (means Chidambaram should be sent to jail). We don’t need his custody.” 

Mehta’s submissions were opposed by senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Abhishek Manu Singhvi who said if Chidambaram was sent to jail under judicial custody then his plea before the top court would become infructuous.

Sibal said he would not press for the interim bail plea before the trial court today and Chidambaram’s CBI custody should be extended till Thursday.

While posting Chidambaram’s plea for hearing on September 5, the top court said it would decide the matter on Thursday itself. It said his interim bail plea be listed for hearing before the trial court on September 5. 

“The present status will continue till then. CBI’s custody will be extended till day after tomorrow (September 5),” the Bench said, adding “We are conscious that we should not usurp the jurisdiction of the trial court concerned.”

The CBI had lodged an FIR on May 15, 2017, alleging irregularities in Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance granted to INX Media group for receiving overseas funds of Rs 305 crore in 2007 during Chidambaram’s tenure as union finance minister. Later, the Enforcement Directorate also lodged a case.