No relief for P Chidambaram, SC bench says approach CJI for stay on arrest

Chidambaram`s bail plea was rejected by the Delhi High Court on Tuesday and he has since remained untraceable for both ED and CBI.

New Delhi: In further blow to former finance minister P Chidambaram, the Supreme Court refused to put a stay on the senior Congress leader's arrest in INX media case after his anticipatory bail plea was refused by the High Court.

Justice Ramanna, hearing the petition filed by Chidambaram has referred the case to the Chief Justice of India. The SC bench has directed Chidambaram to approach CJI for a stay on his arrest.

Chidambaram's bail plea was rejected by the Delhi High Court on Tuesday. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), probing the case, reached his house hours after to arrest him. But Chidambaram remained untraceable for the a team of both the agencies.

The probe agencies are still clueless about the whereabouts of Chidambaram.

Chidambaram and his son Karti Chidambaram are being probed by ED and in the INX Media case.

On May 15, 2017, the CBI had registered an FIR in the case alleging irregularities in the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance granted to the INX Media for receiving overseas funds to the tune of Rs 305 crore in 2007, during Chidambaram`s tenure as the finance minister. Karti Chidambaram has also been probed by the CBI for allegedly taking money to facilitate the FIPB clearance to INX Media in 2007.

The ED had registered a PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act) case based on FIR by the CBI and alleged that irregularities took place in the FIPB clearance to INX Media.

CBI had registered an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR), the ED's equivalent of a police FIR, against the accused named in a CBI complaint, including Karti Chidambaram, INX Media and its directors Peter and Indrani Mukerjea.