Special court extends interim bail to six bureaucrats in INX Media case

A special court on Monday extended the interim bail of six bureaucrats in the INX Media case till February 18.

The interim bail of six bureaucrats who were part of the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) which granted approval to INX Media during former finance minister P Chidambaram's tenure was extended by the court.

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

The arguments on granting regular bail and scrutiny of documents will also be held on February 18. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had earlier in its reply opposed the regular bail petition of the bureaucrats.

The agency's reply came on a notice served to it by the court on November 29 on the bail petition moved by them. 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. Subsequently, the court can grant permanent bail, extend interim bail or reject bail application altogether.

Former Union Minister P Chidambaram, who is the main accused in the case, is out on regular bail in the case.

The case pertains to FIPB clearance given to Karti Chidambaram's INX Media to the tune of Rs 305 crore when his father P Chidambaram was the finance minister.

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