NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday granted bail to senior Congress leader and former finance ministerP Chidambaramin the INX Media corruption case lodged by the CBI.
A bench headed by justice R Banumathi set aside the Delhi high court’s September 30 verdict denying bail to Chidambaram in the case.
The 74 – year-old senior Congress leader approached the court challenging the September 30 verdict of the high court which had dismissed his bail plea, filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) , saying the probe was at an advanced stage and the possibility of his influencing the witnesses cannot be ruled out.
The bench granted bail to Chidambaram on a personal bond of Rs 1 lakh with one surety of the like amount. The court said Chidambaram to be released on bail if not required in any other case.
The top court ordered Chidambaram to make himself available for interrogation, as and when called by the probe agency. Also, he will not leave the country without prior permission, the court further stated.
The former finance minister is also being probed by the Enforcement Directorate. He is presently in ED custody.
The CBI had registered an FIR on May 15, 2017 alleging irregularities in a 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 the finance minister.
Thereafter, the ED lodged a money laundering case in this regard in 2017.
He was arrested in connection with the graft case on August 21 by the CBI, which chargesheeted him and others, including his son Karti and some bureaucrats, for causing loss to the exchequer by allegedly committing offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Indian Penal Code.
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