Chidambram sought protection against arrest by CBI and ED from the Top court
NEW DELHI : Today morning the CBI continued its efforts to locate P Chidambaram. A team of officials went to the Chidambaram’s Jor Bagh residence. His legal team asked the agency not to take any coercive action against him as his petition is to be mentioned in the Supreme Court.
Special Leave Petition (SLP) filed in Supreme Court by lawyers of #PChidambaram seeking interim relief against yesterday’s order of the Delhi High Court canceling Chidambaram’s anticipatory bail plea.
Chidambaram’s plea says the Delhi HC’s observation that he is “kingpin” in INX media case is completely baseless and supported by no material whatsoever. He has also sought from the apex court protection against arrest by CBI and ED. The Centre says the case is of monumental magnitude.ED claims Chidambarams used scam money to buy properties abroad, India.
The CJI is yet to arrive take part in the the Ayodhya hearing by the 5 judge bench. He might take a decision in his chamber. Justice Ramana says the CJI will pass the order. Justice Ramana has lobbed this to the court of CJI Ranjan Gogoi. Chidambaram’s plea will be put before CJI to consider for urgent listing. The CJI is sitting in the Constitution bench hearing the Ayodhya case and can’t hear it immediately says Justice Ramana
Meanwhile,Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday slammed the Narendra Modi government of using the ED, the CBI and sections of the media to “character assassinate” former Union finance minister P Chidambaram.
The Delhi High Court had on Tuesday refused to grant any protection from arrest to Chidambaram in the INX Media case, following which the CBI issued a notice to him asking him to appear before the investigation officer “within two hours” after failing to find him at his residence.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has also issued a fresh look out circular against the former Union minister. “Modi’s Govt is using the ED, CBI & sections of a spineless media to character assassinate Mr Chidambaram. I strongly condemn this disgraceful misuse of power,” Gandhi tweeted.Earlier, his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had also tweeted that the senior Congress leader was being “shamefully hunted down”.
“An extremely qualified and respected member of the Rajya Sabha, @PChidambaram_IN ji has served our nation with loyalty for decades including as Finance Minister & Home Minister. He unhesitatingly speaks truth to power and exposes the failures of this government, but the truth is inconvenient to cowards so he is being shamefully hunted down,” Priyanka Gandhi tweeted.
“We stand by him and will continue to fight for the truth no matter what the consequences are,” posted the Congress general secretary on Mr Chidambaram, who has been Finance Minister and Home Minister in Congress governments.
The Enforcement Directorate has put out a lookout notice for Mr Chidambaram, who is accused of facilitating, as the country’s Finance Minister, a huge infusion of foreign funds into the company INX Media at the recommendation of his son Karti Chidambaram, who allegedly received kickbacks for his role. The notice means the former union minister cannot fly abroad.(With Inputs from Agencies).
