On Friday, the Supreme Court on hearing the plea of Congress leader P Chidambaram challenging the Delhi High Court verdict dismissing his anticipatory bail plea in the INX Media case ordered that the petition filed by P Chidambaram against his custodial remand by the CBI to be taken up on Monday.
The apex court fixed the hearing in the case against CBI on Monday, August 26 as former Finance Minister P Chidambaram has been remanded to custody till that date.
On Thursday, the Supreme Court had decided to hear the petition filed by Chidambaram against the Delhi High Court verdict and scheduled it to be heard on Friday. The bench of Justice R Banumathi and Justice AS Bopanna heard the plea.
On Tuesday, the Delhi High Court had cancelled P Chidambaram’s anticipatory bail plea, paving the way for his arrest. Although ED and CBI sought to arrest him immediately after the HC order on August 20, they could not locate him.
Dismissing his plea, the Delhi High Court judge had called former finance minister Chidambaram as the “kingpin”, the key conspirator in the INX Media case.
Later next day, Former Finance Minister who was on the run following the Delhi High Court judgement appeared before the media in a press conference in the AICC headquarters.
Chidambaram was arrested late night on Wednesday by the CBI soon after he reached his Jor Bagh residence in New Delhi following his appearance at a press conference at AICC headquarters. The arrest came after high-intensity drama where CBI officials had to climb up walls to reach the senior Congress leader.
Meanwhile, Chidambaram’s counsel represented by senior Congress leaders Kapil Sibal, Abhishek Manu Singhvi and others had approached the Supreme Court seeking an urgent mentioning, but it was rejected.
Next day on Wednesday, the lawyers had approached the court of Justice NV Ramana, who sent the file to CJI saying he is not authorised to decide who will hear a case. As CJI Gogoi had already started hearing the Ayodhya case, it could not be presented before him. The plea also had some defected which delayed the case of Chidambaram, and it was decided that SC will take up the plea on Friday.
Currently, former Finance Minister P Chidambaram is in five-day CBI custody. A special CBI Court has granted CBI custody of former Union Minister for Finance and Home, P Chidambaram, in the INX Media case till August 26.