N Ram, the Chairman of the Kasturi and Sons limited that owns The Hindu Group, has claimed that former finance minister P Chidambaram is innocent and there is ‘no material evidence’ against him other than the words of the murder accused Indrani Mukherjea.
As per a report in The Hindu, N Ram attended a meeting of the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee in Chennai to condemn Chidambaram’s arrest on Sunday, 15 September and spoke in favour of Chidambaram. Proclaiming that Chidambaram has done nothing wrong, the publisher of The Hindu claimed that a ‘monstrous injustice’ has been done to Chidambaram by sending him to jail. He added that there is no ‘material evidence’ against Chidambaram.
N Ram even went ahead to criticise the courts of India for sending Chidambaram to jail. He added, “The only intention behind those who have orchestrated his arrest and unfortunately the highest courts of the land have fallen victim to this, is to deny him liberty as long as possible. That’s the whole intention,”
Criticising the Delhi HC for dismissing Chidambaram’s bail plea, N Ram stated, “They have virtually adopted the case of the prosecution. For seven months, judgment was reserved. Just before the judge retired, the judgment came out depriving Chidambaram of any opportunity to appeal,”
Ram even did not even spare the judges of the Supreme Court. He stated that there are factual mistakes in the order of justices R Bhanumathi and Bopanna. He claimed that the judges said that Chidambaram’s assets have been confiscated which is completely wrong. He pushed for the need for a review petition to be filed soon.
Ram claimed that there is no basis to accuse Chidambaram except the statements of two murder accused (the Mukerjeas). He also asserted that the court should have granted bail to Chidambaram because there was no danger of any documents being suppressed or witness being threatened. He added that it was a ‘great shame’ that justice was not delivered in the case.
Congress leaders MP K Jayakumar and Peter Alphone stated that Chidambaram is being targeted by the BJP and it is a political fight, not a legal one.
Alphonse said, “A government which doesn’t take any action on big cases involving their party men, is only pursuing cases against a person who has done no wrong, is a renowned politician.”
Suba Veerapandian, the president of Dravida Iyakka Thamizhar Peravai stated that a psychological war is being unleashed on Congress to create an impression that it cannot rise again.