SC grants bail to Chidambaram in INX Media corruption case, but can't walk free

Former finance minister P Chidambaram, who spent 2 months in custody of enforcement agencies and jail, was on Tuesday granted bail by the Supreme Court in the INX media corruption case filed by the CBI but he can't walk free as he is currently under the ED's custody in a related money laundering matter.

Chidambaram, 74, was arrested by Central Bureau of Investigation(CBI) officials from his Jor Bagh home here in a late night drama on August 21. A city court on October 18 remanded the Congress veteran to the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) custody till Thursday after multiple spells of CBI and judicial remand.

Setting aside the Delhi High Court's September 30 verdict denying bail to Chidambaram, the apex court said he is neither a "flight risk" nor there is a possibility of "his abscondence from the trial". Chidambaram had moved the apex court challenging the high court verdict.

The court, however, made it clear its order will not have any bearing in any other proceedings.

The statement made by the CBI that Chidambaram has influenced witnesses and there was a likelihood of his further influencing them cannot be the ground to deny bail to him when there was "no such whisper" in six remand applications filed by the agency before the trial court, it said.

Rejecting the CBI contentions that Chidambaram tried to influence two material witnesses in the case, a bench headed by Justice R Banumathi said no details are available as to "when, where and how those witnesses were approached".

"There are no details as to the form of approach of those two witnesses either SMS, e-mail, letter or telephonic calls and the persons who have approached the material witnesses."
"It is made clear that the findings in this judgment be construed as expression of opinion only for the limited purpose of considering the regular bail in CBI case and shall not have any bearing in any other proceedings."
"The appellant is not a 'flight risk' and in view of the conditions imposed, there is no possibility of his abscondence from the trial."