INX Media case: SC adjourns P Chidambaram's bail plea till Wednesday

Chidambaram's bail plea was posted for Wednesday as Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the ED, is busy in arguments of another case before a different bench.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday adjourned for November 27 the hearing on a bail plea filed by finance minister P Chidambaram in the INX Media money laundering case. Chidambaram had moved the top court challenging Delhi High Court order denying him bail in the case lodged by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

The matter was posted for Wednesday as Solicitor General (SG) Tushar Mehta, representing the ED, is busy in arguments of another case before a different bench. 

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Chidambaram, however, requested the court to not allow any further adjournment asserting that Chidambaram is 74-year-old and has been in jail for more than 90 days.

The veteran Congress leader's bail plea was earlier rejected by the High Court on November 15. While dismissing Chidambaram's bail plea, the HC observed that prima facie allegations against him were serious in nature and he played an "active and key role" in the offence.

Chidambaram was arrested in October and is lodged in Tihar Jail. 

Chidambaram sought bail in a case pertaining to the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance given to INX Media to the tune of Rs 305 crore in 2007 during his tenure as the finance minister. CBI had registered a corruption case in this regard in May 2017. Later that year, the ED also lodged a money laundering case.

He was first arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on August 21 but was granted bail by the Supreme Court two months later. 

(With IANS inputs)