INX Media money-laundering case: Delhi court sends Chidambaram to ED custody till October 30

After getting bail in the INX Media corruption case from the Supreme Court, Chidambaram had moved the Delhi High Court for bail in the money-laundering case, saying he was “innocent” and “wrongly implicated”.

The HC on Thursday issued notice to the ED and sought its stand on Chidambaram’s bail application in the money-laundering case within a week. Justice Suresh Kumar Kait fixed the matter for further hearing on November 4.

Referring to the apex court’s bail order, which said that he is not a “flight risk” and a mere averment that he allegedly approached witnesses, without any basis, cannot be a reason to deny regular bail, his bail plea before the HC said that the “instant criminal proceedings are mala fide and borne out of political vendetta, and that the investigating agency is acting at the behest of the Central government, which wants to malign his untainted and unimpeachable reputation”.

He also contended that his health condition is “fragile”.

The ED, represented by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and advocate N K Matta, asked for seven-day custody. Mehta said Chidambaram was asked a total of 65 questions during his custody from October 17 to 23 and the pace of Chidambaram’s answer “substantially and drastically decreased”.