CBI arrests former Union Minister P Chidambaram after high drama
New Delhi: After a long stand-off at his Jor Bagh residence here, former Finance and Home Minister P Chidambaram was arrested by CBI officials late night Wednesday. This is the first time in the history of Indian politics that a Finance Minister has been arrested on charges of graft. It should be stated here that former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi who was also the Home Minister was arrested by the Morarji Desai government in 1977 on charges of corruption, but it was not for graft. More than a 100 CBI officials along with its counterparts of Enforcement Directorate were present at Chidambaram’s residence during the high drama arrest. The former Finance Minister was then driven off to the CBI headquarters here for questioning.
CBI officials scale wall to enter P Chidambaram’s New Delhi residence
New Delhi: In their efforts to nab former Finance Minister P Chidambaram a team of CBI officials reached his residence in Jor Bagh here late Wednesday evening. Members of the team then scaled the wall of the residence as they went in search of the Congress leader. There is no news still whether P Chidambaram is at the house or not.
Chidambaram asks probe agencies to ‘respect law’ till Friday’s Supreme Court hearing
New Delhi: Former Finance Minister P Chidambaram, wanted in a money laundering case, made a dramatic appearance at a press conference in the Congress headquarters here Wednesday evening, and asked probe agencies to ‘respect’ the law and wait till Friday when the Supreme Court hears his bail plea.
Facing arrest after Supreme Court refused to hear his urgent plea for bail in the INX media case, Chidambaram put up a strong defence of himself and his family members. He said none of them has been accused of any offence by the probe agencies.
“I am aghast that I was accused of hiding from the law,” Chidambaram said rejecting allegations that he was evading investigating agencies. He said he was working with his lawyers through Tuesday night, preparing his papers for his bail application.
“Until Friday and beyond, let’s hope the lamp of liberty will shine bright and illuminate the whole country,” Chidambaram said, suggesting that the probe agencies should not arrest him until the apex court decides on his bail plea.
“I will respect law even if applied with an unequal hand by probe agencies,” he said reading out from a written statement and flanked by several senior Congress leaders. He did not take any questions from journalists and left the venue after finishing his statement.
P Chidambaram surfaces at AICC headquarters
New Delhi: After being untraceable throughout the day, former Union Minister P Chidambaram appeared at the AICC quarters here Wednesday evening. He told a packed press conference that if he is ‘asked to choose between life and liberty, I will unhesitatingly choose liberty’.
ED widens probe against P Chidambaram, more FIPB approvals, shell firms under lens
New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) money laundering probe against former Finance Minister P Chidambaram has been enlarged as it suspects his role in granting alleged illegal Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearances to at least four more business deals, apart from INX Media and Aircel-Maxis, and receiving multi-crore kickbacks through multiple shell firms, official sources said Wednesday.
The federal agency has also come across evidence where alleged illegal deposits of over Rs 300 crore were made in a single shell firm after purported kickbacks were received by P Chidambaram and his son Karti Chidambaram in lieu of granting illegal FIPB and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) approvals.
The agency, sources said, has requested the court to allow it custodial interrogation of the father-son duo given the nature of these complex transactions and kickback deals which have cross-border ramifications.
The sources said the ED is probing P Chidambaram’s role in granting alleged illegal FIPB approvals in at least four cases involving Diageo Scotland Ltd, Katara Holdings, Essar Steel Ltd and Elforge Ltd. The FIPB that used to function under the Union Finance Ministry has now been scrapped.
The senior Congress leader is already under probe by the agency under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) for grant of FIPB approval, in an alleged illegal manner, to two others deals — Aircel-Maxis and INX Media.
CBI issues look out circular against Chidambaram
New Delhi: CBI issued a look out circular Wednesday against former Finance Minister P Chidambaram according to officials of the probe agency. The look out order was issued minutes after the Supreme Court listed Chidambaram’s plea for a stay against the Delhi HC order for Friday.
It should be stated here that earlier in the day senior advocate Kapil Sibal, flanked by other equally top advocates Salman Khurshid, Vivek Tankha and Indira Jaising, told a Supreme Court bench comprising Justices NV Ramana, M Shantanagoudar and Ajay Rastogi that the investigating agencies have issued a look out notice against Chidambaram as if he is going to ‘run away’. However, the bench said, “Without listing of the petition, we cannot hear the matter.”
SC to hear Chidambaram’s plea Friday for stay on Delhi HC order
New Delhi: Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram, who is facing threat of arrest, failed Wednesday to get protection from the Supreme Court which decided to hear Friday his petition seeking stay on the Delhi High Court order that had dismissed his anticipatory bail plea.
Registrar (Judicial) informed Chidambaram’s lawyer that Chief Justice of India (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi has listed the matter for hearing Friday.
Soon after getting the message from Registrar (Judicial), a team of lawyers led by senior advocate Kapil Sibal had a short deliberation in the consultation room after which they left the apex court.
Chidambaram, who was Home and Finance minister in the UPA government from 2004-2014, had sought a stay on the Delhi High Court’s judgement Tuesday dismissing his anticipatory bail plea and paving the way for his arrest lodged by CBI and Enforcement Directorate in cases related to the INX Media scam.
P Chidambaram’s petition was first mentioned by Sibal in the morning before a bench, comprising Justices NV Ramana, M Shantanagoudar and Ajay Rastogi, which sent it for being placed before the CJI for his consideration to accord it urgent hearing.
CJI’s bench rises for the day
New Delhi: All escape routes for former Union Minister and Congress leader P Chidambaram seemed closed after the bench headed by CJI Ranjan Gogoi rose for the day. Earlier Chidambaram’s lawyers had assembled in CJI’s court room where the Ayodhya hearing is going on with the hope of mentioning his plea again. Coming out of CJI’s court, Chidambaram’s counsel said they are waiting for Registrar’s message on listing of petition. They said they are trying for the listing of the matter Wednesday itself.
SC refuses urgent listing
New Delhi: The Supreme Court Wednesday refused urgent listing of Congress leader P Chidambaram’s petition seeking protection from arrest in the INX Media scam cases.
The top court said the defects in the petition were removed just now and it ‘cannot be listed for hearing today itself’.
“Without listing of the petition, we cannot hear the matter,” said a bench comprising Justices N V Ramana, M Shantanagoudar and Ajay Rastogi.
“Sorry Mr Sibal. We cannot hear the matter,” the bench said when senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Chidambaram, repeatedly asked for hearing the matter Wednesday itself.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta opposed the plea of Chidambaram for hearing the matter on oral mentioning saying that the papers are not with him.
Just as the bench assembled in the post lunch session, Sibal said he was once again mentioning the matter for listing as he had not heard anything from the Registry about its listing.
Sibal told the top court that the investigative agencies have now issued a look out notice against Chidambaram as if he is going to ‘run away’.
The bench told him that there were some defects in the petition and the Registry has informed about it.
When Sibal said the defects have been cured, the bench called Registrar (judicial) Surya Pratap Singh and enquired about the defects.
The Registrar said the defects have been cured ‘just now’, and the petition will be placed before the CJI for allocating it before an appropriate bench.
At this, Sibal said that the matter cannot be listed today as the CJI is sitting in the Constitution bench and he will not rise before 4 pm.
While the senior advocate was repeatedly insisting the matter be hear, the bench told him, ‘we have already directed the matter to be placed before CJI’.
“Generally, the matters for listing are placed before CJI in the evening but in the morning we immediately refer it to CJI,” the bench said.
“It is not out job but the Registry has to take the step,” the bench further said.
When Sibal reminded the bench that in the past on the basis of oral mentioning protection from arrest has been granted to people, the bench said, “we directed the Registry and it found that there were defects in the petition”.
At the end of the hearing, Sibal said that Chidambaram was ready to give an undertaking that he will not run away but the bench did not consider the submission and concluded the brief hearing.
Chidambaram submits petition in SC
New Delhi: Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram has submitted in his petition in the Supreme Court that the high court’s observation that he was the ‘kingpin’ in the INX Media case was completely baseless and that the FIR was ‘politically motivated and an act of vendetta’.
The former union minister Wednesday filed an appeal in the Supreme Cout challenging the Delhi High Court order dismissing his petition for pre-arrest bail in the INX Media case.
“The Judge’s observation that the petitioner is the kingpin i.e. the key conspirator in this case is completely baseless and supported by no material whatsoever. The judge has ignored the crucial fact that the petitioner simply approved the unanimous recommendation of the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) which was chaired by Secretary, Economic Affairs and consisted of five other Secretaries to the Government of India,” he said in the petition.
Chidambaram said observations of the high court that the magnitude of the case justifies denial of bail is manifestly ‘illegal and unjust’. Approval was granted for an original investment and the downstream investment.
“Both investment proposals were examined and processed in the normal course and placed before the FIPB. It was FIPB which recommended grant of approval and the Petitioner simply approved the recommendation. None of the FIPB members have been attempted to be arrested,” he said.
Contending that his antecedents are ‘impeccable’, Chidambaram said he is a sitting Member of the Rajya Sabha and has never been accused of any offence.
“There is no possibility of his fleeing from justice. Further, it is the case of the petitioner that despite having cooperated fully with the investigation the object of seeking his arrest is only to humiliate him and injure his reputation,” the plea submitted.
PTI