INX Media case: SC Rejects Chidambaram’s bail plea

TheSupreme Court on Thursday rejected the anticipatory plea of senior Congressleader P Chidambaram in the INX Media case. Chidambaram has challenged theDelhi High Court order that rejected his anticipatory bail plea in the casebeing probed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

Thebench of Justice R Banumathi and Justice AS Bopanna has refused to extendprotection from arrest to the senior Congress leader. "Granting anticipatorybail at the initial stage may frustrate the investigation," the top court said.

However,the bench stated that Chidambaram can move regular bail before the trial court.Earlier, the top court had directed that the CBI custody of Chidambaram beextended till September 5.

Itmay be mentioned here that the Congress leader and former Union Minister isfacing investigation into the cases by the CBI and the ED in connection withthe alleged irregularities in a clearance given to INX Media in 2007, when hewas the Union Finance Minister.