INX Media case: Court grants regular bail to six bureaucrats

A special court granted regular bail to all the six bureaucrats in the INX media corruption case.

These bureaucrats were charge-sheeted by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and are currently on interim bail.

Special CBI Judge Ajay Kumar while confirming the interim bail into regular bail, also directed them not to leave the country without the permission of the court. The court granted regular bail to all six bureaucrats on a personal bond of Rs 2 lakh each and told them not to tamper with the evidence.

These six bureaucrats were part of the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) panel which granted approval to INX Media, in the case involving former Union Minister P. Chidambaram.

The bureaucrats include Ajeet Kumar Dungdung, the then Section Officer, and Rabindra Prasad, the then Under Secretary and Prabodh Saxena, Director, FIPB unit of Finance Ministry, Pradeep Kumar Bagga, the then Officer on Special Duty (OSD), Anup K Pujari, the then Joint Secretary and Sindhushree Khullar, Additional Secretary in the Department of Economic Affairs.

We have apprehension that they can flee away from the country and they were influential personality and hold powerful posts, CBI lawyer Naveen Kumar argued while opposing their regular bail plea.

The interim bail is a temporary bail for a period in which the court can ask for documents to be presented which are required to make a final decision on the bail application.

Former Union Minister P Chidambaram and his son Karti Chidambaram are currently out on bail which was granted by the Supreme Court.

The case pertains to FIPB clearance given to INX Media to the tune of Rs 305 crore when Chidambaram was the Finance Minister.

The economic offences watchdog had registered a PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act) case based on FIR by the CBI and alleged that irregularities took place in the FIPB clearance to INX Media.