Chidambaram gets interim protection from Delhi HC too

NEW DELHI: The Delhi high court granted senior Congress leader and former finance minister P Chidambaram interim protection from arrest till July 3 in connection with the INX Media case on Thursday, a day after he was given protection from arrest in the Aircel-maxis case till June 5.

Justice AK Pathak restrained the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) from arresting Chidambaram till July 3 and also issued a notice seeking its response to his anticipatory bail application within two weeks. The orders came after Chidambaram moved the court seeking anticipatory bail as he was summoned by the agency to join a probe into his role in approving a foreign investment in INX Media when he was finance minister. On Wednesday, the Patiala House court had granted him immunity from arrest till June 5.

The agency had summoned Chidambaram to appear before it on May 31 at 11am in connection with the ₹305 crore INX Media case. Additional solicitor general Tushar Mehta, appearing for the agency, raised preliminary objections to the plea and said that Chidambaram should approach the sessions court instead. The court, while granting the interim protection to the former finance minister, also directed Chidambaram to comply with the summons.

The hearing in this matter was supposed to take place on Wednesday. However, justice SP Garg, who was supposed to hear, it recused himself from hearing the matter. The matter was then listed for proceedings before justice Pathak, who said that he would hear the case at 3pm.

Counsel for both the sides, including Mehta, then jointly requested an adjournment following which the matter was heard at 10.30am, half an hour before Chidambaram had to reach the CBI following the summons.chidambaram said in his plea that he had been summoned despite the fact that he was not mentioned as an accused or a suspect in the case. He said he feared arrest because of circumstances under which his son was arrested earlier .