SC grants bail to Chidambaram in INX Media case
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday granted bail to senior Congress leader P Chidambaram in the INX Media money laundering case registered by the Enforcement Directorate.
The top court said Chidambaram would not leave the country without prior permission of the court and neither try to influence the witnesses nor tamper with evidence.
The apex court set aside the Delhi High Court's November 15 verdict denying bail to the former Union finance minister, who has been in custody for 105 days since August 21 when he was arrested by the CBI in the INX Media corruption case.
A three-judge bench, headed by Justice R Banumathi, granted the relief to the 74-year-old Congress leader on a personal bond of Rs 2 lakh with two sureties of the like amount.
The bench, also comprising Justices A S Bopanna and Hrishikesh Roy, restrained Chidambaram from giving any press interview or making any statements with regard to the case.
Speaking to reporters after the verdict, Chidambaram's counsel Abhishek Manu Singhvi expressed that the top court gave a "balanced and comprehensive" judgment.
The ED had arrested Chidambaram on October 16 in the money-laundering case.
The bench said its order would not have any bearing on other accused in the case and Chidambaram would have to join further investigations if asked by the probe agency.
Holding that the high court was justified in considering the gravity of offence while denying Chidambaram bail, the apex court disapproved of the manner in which the high court had made observations with regard to merits of the case.
It said the gravity of the offences are to be examined by the court on the basis of facts and circumstances of each and every case.
The bench said it was initially not inclined to open the sealed cover material placed before it by the ED. But since the high court had perused the material, it was imperative for the top court to go through the documents, it said.
After pronouncing the verdict, it directed the apex court registry to return the sealed cover material back to the ED.
The apex court made it clear that its order would not be construed to be the findings on merits of the case.
The court said the alleged complicity of Chidambaram in the case would be examined during the trial.
The top court had on October 22 granted bail to him in the INX Media corruption case lodged by the CBI.
