Chidambaram Gets Relief In ED Case

The court, however, refuses to entertain his plea for liberty from CBI custody in INX Media case

- Krishnadas Rajagopal

The Supreme Court on Monday extended its interim protection to former Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram from arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for another day, but it refused to entertain his plea for liberty from CBI custody in the INX Media case.

A Bench of Justices R. Banumathi and A.S. Bopanna said Mr. Chidambaram’s appeal for anticipatory bail in the CBI case was “infructuous”. The senior Congress leader had been under remand for the past five days after his arrest on August 21. The Bench said he could apply for regular bail in the court concerned.

Hours after the Supreme Court declined his appeal against the CBI, the Special Court extended his remand till August 30.

But the Supreme Court Bench heard senior advocate Kapil Sibal, for Mr. Chidambaram, argue the whole day a separate appeal filed for anticipatory bail in the case lodged by the ED, which is investigating the money laundering angle.