Delhi High Court rejects Chidambaram's anticipatory bail plea in INX media case

Moments after the Delhi High Court rejected former finance minister P Chidambaram’s anticipatory bail in the INX Media case, Chidambaram has moved the Supreme Court seeking urgent hearing against High Court's rejection of his plea. Senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal is likely to make an urgent mention before SC registrar.

“Both the applications are dismissed,” Justice Sunil Gaur of the high court declared. The court had reserved its order on January 25 this year. The court hasn’t ruled on the senior Congress leader’s request to give him three days interim protection from arrest to go in appeal.

"Both the petitions (in CBI and ED case) are dismissed," said Justice Gaur. 

After the court pronounced the order, senior advocate Dayan Krishnan, appearing for Chidambaram, sought stay on the operation of the order for three days, to which the court said that it will consider the request and will pass order on it. 

During the arguments, both the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate had opposed Chidambaram's plea on the ground that his custodial interrogation was required as he was evasive during questioning. 

Both the probe agencies had contended that during Chidambaram's tenure as finance minister, FIPB clearance was granted to the media group for receiving overseas funds of Rs 305 crore in 2007.

ED contended that the companies in which money was transferred are directly or indirectly controlled by Chidambaram's son, Karti, and they have a reason to believe that the FIPB approval was granted to INX Media on his son's interventio 

The high court had on July 25, 2018 granted interim protection from arrest to Chidambaram in both the cases and it was extended from time to time. 

The senior Congress leader's role had come under the scanner of various investigating agencies in the Rs 3,500-crore Aircel-Maxis deal and the INX Media case involving Rs 305 crore. 

It was during his tenure as finance minister in the UPA-I government that clearances from the Foreign Investment Promoti .. 

In the INX Media case, the CBI had registered an FIR on May 15, 2017 alleging irregularities in the FIPB clearance granted to the media group for receiving overseas funds of Rs 305 crore in 2007 during Chidambaram's tenure as finance minister. 

Thereafter, the ED in 2018 lodged the money laundering case in this regard. 

Chidambaram's petition had said that though no summons had ever been served on him by the ED in this case, he had an apprehension of arrest in view of the summons issued to him by the CBI. 

Ramdev police crackdown on civil society joins

New Delhi: Baba Ramdev's Satyagraha may have come to an abrupt end, but its impact is still being felt. Team Anna Hazare, which used to be considered his rival, has now decided to boycott the Lokpal meet called on Monday to express their support for Ramdev.

"The Government is trying to crush the anti-corruption movement. We have therefore decided not to attend the joint committee meeting on Monday," said lawyer and Lokpal Bill Drafting Committee member Shanti Bhushan.

Anna Hazare, the original crusader against corruption and someone who was beginning to feel a bit uneasy with Ramdev's fellow campaigners, has now come out in his support.

"This is a mockery of democracy. It is worse than what happened in Jallianwala Bagh," said Anna Hazare.

"The govt gave him permission for a yoga shiver knowing that he was going on a fast. What happened was unethical," said Kiran Bedi.

Activists who had criticised Ramdev for his affinity with the RSS and the BJP and condemned the presence of Sadhvi Rithambara on his stage, too seemed to soften their stand.

"We are fighting for the same issues. I have problems with his demands for capital punishment and the fact that he allowed communal elements on his stage, but I agree with most of the other issues," said lawyer and Lokpal Bill Drafting Committee member Prashant Bhushan.

With the kind of a treatment meted out, the ideological barrier against Baba has been broken.

"In a democracy there is space for dissent. The Lokpal panel may not have been in agreement with Ramdev but he was well within his rights to launch his own movement," said NAC member Harsh Mandar.

Till Saturday, the civil society was divided on whether or not to support Baba Ramdev. But after Saturday night's police crackdown they've come out strongly in his support. At the end of the day, it's not Ramdev but the Government's image that has taken a beating.