P Chidambaram steps out from Tihar jail

Former Union Minister P Chidambaram was released from the Tihar jail here on Wednesday evening after the Supreme Court granted him bail earlier today in the INX Media case registered by the ED.

A large number of Congress workers had reached the Tihar Jail to receive former Union Finance Minister Chidambaram.

The apex court set aside the Delhi High Court's order which had refused to grant bail to Chidambaram and directed him not to tamper with evidence and influence witnesses in the case.

Chidambaram's son Karti, while expressing happiness, said the Congress MP will attend the ongoing Winter Session of Parliament on Thursday.

"I am very happy that he is going to be back home. I am extremely relieved," Karti told ANI here.

He shall not give a press interview and not make public statements with regard to this case, the court ordered, while directing him to furnish a bail bond of Rs 2 lakh plus two sureties of the same amount.

Chidambaram had sought the bail in a case pertaining to the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance given to INX Media to the tune of Rs 305 crore in 2007 during his tenure as the Finance Minister.

The CBI had registered a corruption case in this regard in May 2017. Later that year, the ED also lodged a money laundering case against him.

The Congress leader was first arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on August 21 this year in the INX Media corruption case but was granted bail by the Supreme Court two months later.

He was arrested by the ED in the money laundering case on October 16.