SC to hear Chidambaram's plea on anticipatory bail tomorrow

The Supreme Court will on Friday hear petitions of former Union Minister P Chidambaram filed against the Delhi High Court's order rejecting his anticipatory bail plea in connection with INX media case probed by CBI and ED.

The bench of Justice R Banumathi and Justice AS Bopanna will hear the plea.

However, a special CBI court on Thursday sent Chidambaram to the CBI custody till August 26 in the INX media case. The court said that family members and lawyers are permitted to meet Chidambaram for 30 minutes a day.

The former union minister was arrested by the CBI from his residence in New Delhi late on Wednesday.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who argued for the CBI, argued that custodial interrogation of the Congress leader was required as Chidambaram was "evasive" and "non-cooperative" in the investigation.

Mehta said that the case, which is a classic example of money laundering, is in the pre-charge sheet stage.

The Congress leader, one of the key ministers during ten years of UPA regime, was taken to the CBI headquarters on Wednesday night after CBI officials scaled the boundary walls of his residence in Jor Bagh after he made a dramatic appearance at the Congress headquarters in New Delhi. He was produced in the CBI Special Court on Thursday.

On Wednesday, the former minister failed to get relief from the Supreme Court over CBI and ED's pursuit of him as the matter was not heard by the court despite repeated efforts of his lawyers.

The Congress leader's lawyers had moved the apex court against Tuesday's Delhi High Court order dismissing his anticipatory bail plea regarding cases filed by the CBI and the ED related to the alleged INX Media scam. The Delhi High Court had in its order said that the grant of bail in cases like this will send a wrong message to the society.