ED issues lookout notice against Chidambaram

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) issued a lookout notice against Congress leader P Chidambaram on Tuesday evening shortly after teams of the probe agency went to the former finance minister's residence but were unable to find him.

The action by came shortly after the Delhi High Court on Tuesday dismissed Chidambaram's anticipatory bail plea regarding cases filed by the CBI and the ED related to the alleged INX Media scam.

The Congress leader on Wednesday filed a Special Leave Petition (SLP) against the high court order seeking pre-arrest bail. He, however, was unable to get immediate relief as his plea was referred to Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi.

CJI Gogoi had commenced hearing in the Ayodhya dispute case due to which Chidambaram's counsel Kapil Sibal was unable to mention the matter before him for urgent hearing.

In his petition, Chidambaram told the Supreme Court that if the present SLP is not taken up on an urgent basis then the sole purpose of filing it will become "infructuous".

"Therefore, it is desirable in the interest of justice that during the pendency of the proceedings before this Honble Court, the interim relief as prayed for herein be granted or else the Petitioner shall suffer irreparable loss," read the petition.

The Delhi High Court had ,in its order, said that this grant of bail in cases like instant one will send a wrong message to the society.

"It cannot be forgotten that the petitioner was the FM at the relevant time and he had given FDI clearances to INX Media group for receiving overseas funds to the tune of Rs 305 crore. Facts of the case prima facie reveal that petitioner is the kingpin, i.e., the key conspirator in this case. Law enforcing agencies cannot be made ineffective by putting legal obstacles of offences in question," the order read.

However, Chidambaram, in his petition, said that he granted approval to INX Media's proposal in the "normal course of official business".

"In May 2007, a bunch of proposals, including the INX Media case, was placed before the Finance Minister. He granted approval in the normal course of official business," read the petition.

The Congress leader said that the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB), which was constituted in order to promote foreign investment in the country, unanimously approved the proposal of INX Media for approval for FDI.

In 2007, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had registered an FIR alleging irregularities in the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance given to INX Media to the tune of Rs 305 crore in 2007 when Chidambaram was the Union Finance Minister.

Based on the FIR, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had filed a Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) case against him.

Chidambaram's son Karti has also been named in the two cases. He was arrested on February 28, 2018, by the CBI and was later released on bail. The ED had attached properties belonging to him.

On July 4, a Delhi court had allowed Indrani Mukerjea, the former head of the INX Media, to turn an approver in the CBI case.

The agency had submitted that it has come across evidence in the form of conversations which only Indrani Mukerjea is privy to and will help consolidate the case.