The Supreme Court today i.e., September 5, 2019, refused to grant anticipatory bail to P. Chidambaram in the INX Media money laundering case lodged by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
The Bench comprising of Justices R. Bhanumati and A.S. Bopanna said that the grant of anticipatory bail to Chidambaram at this stage will hamper the investigation. It was also not a fit case to grant anticipatory bail, the Bench added.
The Bench also rejected Chidambaram's application for direction to the ED to produce transcripts of his questioning by the agency on 3 dates.
Chidambaram has been in custody since his arrest on August 21, 2019, after the Delhi High Court dismissed his anticipatory bail application.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), on May 15, 2017, registered an FIR against Chidambaram for alleged irregularities in the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance provided to INX Media for receiving overseas funds to the tune of ₹305 crore in 2007 when he was the finance minister. The money laundering cases lodged by ED in this regard dates back to 2018.
