HC grants Chidambaram interim protection till July 3 in INX case

The Delhi High Court on Thursday granted interim protection from arrest till July 3 to senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram in the INX Media case.

Justice A.K. Pathak directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) not to take any coercive action against Chidambaram till July 3, the next date of hearing.

The court has asked CBI to file response on Chidambaram's anticipatory bail plea.

The court also directed Chidambaram to join investigation whenever required.

The Congress leader on Wednesday moved high court after he was called by the CBI for questioning in the case.

His son Karti Chidambaram was arrested on February 28, for allegedly taking money to facilitate Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance to INX Media in 2007 when his father was the Union Finance Minister in the UPA government. Karti Chidambaram was later granted bail.

"The petitioner (Chidambaram) further apprehends his arrest because of the circumstances under which his son was arrested," said the plea moved through the Congress leader's advocate, P.K. Dubey.

Chidambaram also told the court that his son had been fully cooperating with the investigation and had in fact, even appeared before the CBI whenever required.

He told the court that CBI has not named him as an accused nor suspect in the case.

Chidambaram, in his plea, said the present case is mala fide and is borne out of political vendetta.

He alleged that the investigating agency is acting at the behest of the Central government, which wants to malign his untainted and unimpeachable reputation as he is a senior leader of the Congress party and was also the former Union Finance Minister and Home Minister.

On Wednesday, a special court granted interim protection to Chidambaram from arrest till June 5 in the Aircel-Maxis deal case.

Earlier, the court granted interim protection to Karti Chidambaram from arrest till July 10 in the Aircel-Maxis deal case.

The CBI and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) are investigating how Karti Chidambaram managed to get a clearance from the FIPB in the Aircel-Maxis deal when his father P. Chidambaram was the Finance Minister in 2006.

--IANS

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