INX Media case: P Chidambaram gets bail from SC after 106 days in custody

SC disapproves of the manner in which Delhi HC recorded findings relating to the alleged offence

Supreme Court on Wednesday granted bail to senior Congress leader and former finance minister P Chidambaram. The bail has been granted on a personal bond of Rs 2 lakh with two sureties.

Arrested by CBI on August 21, Chidambaram has been in custody for the last 106 days. The SC had granted him bail in the CBI case on October 22, after 58 days of custody. But ED had arrested him on October 17, and he has been under ED custody since then. 

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. The SC observed that the former finance minister had participated in the investigation. It also criticised Delhi HC for making observations on the merits of the case. It said that despite the triple test being found in Chidambaram's favour, observations were made on merit.

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.

In the last hearing on November 28, the senior Congress leader had told the SC that he has been kept in jail "unfairly" for the last 98 days just because he is the father of Karti, a key accused in the INX Media money laundering case, and there was not a "single evidence" linking him to it.

After the hearing, the top court had reserved its order on the bail plea.