INX Media case: Court directs CBI to hand over documents to Chidambaram, son

A Delhi court directed the CBI on Tuesday to hand over to P Chidambaram and his son Karti certain documents filed along with the charge sheet in the INX Media corruption case.

Special Judge Ajay Kumar Kuhar issued the direction to the CBI during the hearing in the INX Media corruption case after the father-son duo told the court that they have not received various documents filed along with the charge sheet.

The Chidambarams were present in the court.

The court, meanwhile, reserved for tomorrow the order on the bail applications of former NITI Aayog CEO Sindhushree Khullar, former OSD to finance minister Pradeep Kumar Bagga and former FIPB director Prabodh Saxena.

The court also reserved order on the bail applications of former section officer of the FIPB unit in the Finance Ministry, Ajeet Kumar Dungdung, the then under secretary in the FIPB unit, Rabindra Prasad, and former joint secretary (Foreign Trade) DEA Anup K Pujari.

The Chidambarams are already on bail in the case.

The court had earlier granted interim bail to other accused on a personal bond of Rs 2 lakh and one surety of the like amount.

The CBI opposed bail applications, saying they may tamper with evidence and flee from justice if granted the relief.

While seeking bail, senior advocate Siddharth Luthra and advocate Vikash Kumar Pathak, appearing for the accused, said on Tuesday that the CBI did not arrest the accused persons while probing the matter.

"Now while the probe is already complete and the final report filed, there is no ground to take them in custody since there is no ground to suggest that tried to hamper the probe," the counsel said.

Chidambaram was taken into custody on August 21, last year when he was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in INX Media corruption case.

On October 16, the ED arrested him in the separate money-laundering case.

Six days later, on October 22, the apex court had granted him bail in the case lodged by the CBI.

On December 4, after 105 days of custody, Chidambaram was granted bail by the Supreme Court in the money laundering case lodged by the ED.

CBI had registered its case on May 15, 2017, alleging irregularities in a Foreign Investment Promotion Board clearance granted to INX Media group for receiving overseas funds of Rs 305 crore in 2007 during Chidambaram's tenure as finance minister.

Thereafter, ED had lodged the money laundering case.