INX Media case: The Special CBI court has extended the CBI remand of former Finance Minister P Chidambaram by four more days in relation to the INX Media case. He will now be produced before the court on August 30.
Representing Chidambaram, senior lawyer and Congress leader Kapil Sibal had contended extending his client's remand on grounds that the probe agencies do not have any new evidence. In response to this, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta responded that the Enforcement Directorate has found new evidence which needs to be interrogated.
Earlier today, the Supreme Court dismissed Chidambaram's appeal against the Delhi High court order, denying an anticipatory bail in the CBI case. The apex court has asked Chidambaram to move a regular bail before the appropriate court, saying his petition became infructuous since he had been arrested on August 21.
During the hearing, P Chidambaram's counsel, Kabil Sibal, accused the ED of leaking crucial documents to the media in connection with the INX Media case. "It can't be that they give or show any document to the court and I am not entitled to look into it. They leak it to media. They leaked the ED affidavit to the media," he added. Kapil Sibal said, "Notes, documents, diaries were passed on to Delhi HC judge as evidence. These documents were not shown to P Chidambaram during questioning." He said he had been hearing for the past three years about the allegations of corruptions but not one document was put before Chidambaram.
As per reports, the CBI will likely seek an extension of his custody in the INX Media case hearing today. India Today TV, citing sources, said the agency could request the apex court to conduct a lie detector test on the former finance minister.
Follow all the latest updates on SC hearing in the INX Media case on BusinessToday.In live blog
5.15 PM: Special CBI Court has extended CBI remand of former Finance Minister P Chidambaram by four days in relation to the INX Media case. He will be produced before the court on August 30.
5.04 PM: The CBI Court has reserved its order on granting further remand of P Chidambaram to CBI. The decision is expected to be announced shortly.
4.05 PM: P Chidambaram is brought to Rose Avenue Court from CBI headquarters.
4.00 PM: Supreme Court says earlier protection granted from arrest to Congress leader P Chidambaram in ED case shall continue till tomorrow. SC to continue hearing arguments on anticipatory bail plea of P Chidambaram tomorrow.
3.33 PM: Reading out Enforcement Directorate's affidavit in Supreme Court, Kapil Sibal says if they are yet to unearth the money laundering scheme, how can it be convincing evidence.
3.07 PM: Solicitor General Tushar Mehta says he is unaware where they got this note from as it was not mentioned in the records. "You have not even denied the note. No document was filed in court, no order said document was filed in court," says Sibal.
3.02 PM: Arguing on behalf of P Chidambaram, Kapil Sibal says, "Paragraphs in High Court judgement were verbatim copy of the CBI/ED note, comma by comma, full stop by full stop, word by word, sentence by sentence, the chart. Their note become findings of the court. Where is the application of mind by the judge?"
2.55 PM: Congress lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi has reached the Rouse Avenue Court for hearing in P Chidambaram's bail plea.
1.51 PM: After the SC dismissed Chidambaram's anticipatory bail plea, the CBI is likely to seek further extension of his custody during a hearing at the Rouse Avenue court at 3 PM.
1.25 PM: The hearing in the INX Media case will continue after the lunch break after 2 PM.
1.24 PM: Kapil Sibal says the FIPB gave the approval to INX Media and that P Chidambaram only signed it as the then finance minister.
1.09 PM: Kapil Sibal, who's P Chidambaram's counsel in the case, slams ED: "ED says these monies are proceeds of crime as INX paid bribe but there is no evidence that it came from INX. Even now that he is in CBI custody. Total 26.5 hours of examination and no specific questions about the transaction. FIR was filed in 2018. We are in August 2019 now. Sealed cover documents only intended to prejudice the court against the petitioner."
1.06 PM: The Solicitor General says "Chidambaram is being evasive" and that the court should peruse the questions that were put to him and the responses given by him to ascertain if he was being evasive. - Bar & Bench
1.03 PM: Kapil Sibal asks "if documents were available then why was he not confronted? Why did they pass the documents to Delhi High Court judge in sealed covers?"
1.02 PM: Kapil Sibal in Supreme Court: "CBI asking Chidambaram, do you have Twitter account?... What kind of questions are being asked? 26 hours of examination and nothing (documents) has been put to him."
1.01 PM: Solicitor General Tushar Mehta says the ED did not leak the affidavit, says it was leaked after it was served to Chidambaram's lawyers. - ANI
1.00 PM: "The will that was spoken about by Solicitor General in the earlier hearing is in public domain. The attachment of properties is known. They can't just make statements like this. ED's only case is that he is not cooperating. This is not fair. This is media trial," Sibal. -- Bar & Bench
12.59 PM: "If they discovered some material between the time FIR was filed and I was arrested, they should have summoned me and interrogated me. They can't spring it like a surprise in the Court," Sibal tells the court. -- Bar & Bench
12.57 PM: Senior lawyer Kapil Sibal says the attempt to produce documents without the accused ever knowing what is being produced is in violation of fundamental rights. -- Bar & Bench
12.49 PM: CBI probe so far: The Financial Intelligence Unit has given a list of foreign bank accounts in the United Kingdom, Switzerland and Singapore, allegedly opened through shell companies in Bermuda, Mauritius and Singapore.
Also read: Chidambaram remains non-cooperative; CBI may seek extension of custody in SC hearing
12.37 PM: The Enforcement Directorate (ED), which has been asking for Chidambaram's custodial interrogation, had also opposed the anticipatory bail plea.
12.32 PM: Kapil Sibal in Supreme Court: "It can't be that they give or show any document to the court and I am not entitled to look into it. They leak it to media. They leaked the ED affidavit to the media."
12.29 PM: Kapil Sibal in the Supreme Court: "Notes, documents, diaries were passed on to Delhi HC judge as evidence. These documents were not shown to P Chidambaram during questioning." --ANI
12.24 PM: The Supreme Court asks P Chidambaram to move regular bail before appropriate court. SC says the petition became infructuous since Chidambaram had been arrested on August 21. --ANI
12.19 PM: Supreme Court dismisses appeal filed by Congress leader P Chidambaram against the Delhi High Court order which dismissed his anticipatory bail plea in a case being probed by CBI in INX media case. -- ANI
Also read: Email linked to Karti Chidambaram shows he owns benami assets in UK, claims ED
Also watch: How INX Media case led to arrest of former FM P Chidambaram