There is no respite as of now for embattled senior Congress leader P Chidambaram. The former finance and Home minister is facing the heat in the INX media case . This after the Delhi High Court rejected his anticipatory bail . CJI Ranjan Gogoi is according to news reports likely to hear Chidambaram’s plea and decide his fate .
The high court denied the anticipatory bail plea to Chidambaram, saying he seems to be the “kingpin” and “key conspirator” in the case and needs to be interrogated in custody for the investigation to be effective.
Meanwhile, the Enforcement Directorate has issued a fresh look out circular against former finance minister P Chidambaram in connection with the INX Media money laundering case, officials said Wednesday.
This comes after the Central Bureau of Investigation put up a notice outside his residence asking him to appear before them in the next two hours.
They said the alert notice against the Congress leader, whose anticipatory bail was cancelled on Tuesday, has been sent to all land, air and seaports and law enforcement agencies at these facilities.
It says the ED should be alerted in case the person is found on their premises. It also asks them to not allow the Congress leader to cross the Indian border without the permission of the ED.
The officials said this is a preventive measure exercised by the agency as Chidambaram’s whereabouts are not known at present and he is required by them to take the probe forward in the INX Media case, being investigated under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
Initially, a team of CBI officials had reached Chidambaram’s Jor Bagh residence but left after not finding him there. Shortly later, a team of ED officials also went to his residence and failed to locate him.
The officials refused to talk to a horde of media persons who sought to know whether they had come to arrest the former union minister.
Delhi High Court had dismissed Chidambaram’s both anticipatory bail pleas in connection with INX Media case.
After sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra tweeted her support for P Chidambaram, former Congress president Rahul Gandhi took to twitter to slam government and media for targeting Chidambaram
Modi’s Govt is using the ED, CBI & sections of a spineless media to character assassinate Mr Chidambaram.
I strongly condemn this disgraceful misuse of power.
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) August 21, 2019