INX Media case: Delhi High Court grants bail to Karti Chidambaram
The CBI had opposed his bail plea, saying he was an influential person and had destroyed evidence in the case.
The Delhi High Court on Friday granted bail to Karti Chidambaram, the son of former Finance Minister P Chidambaram, in connection with the INX Media money laundering case, PTI reported.
The court granted the bail against a surety of Rs 10 lakh, according to ANI. Chidambaram is not allowed travel outside India and cannot influence witnesses or close bank accounts, the court said.
The court had reserved its verdict on March 16. The Central Bureau of Investigation had opposed Chidambaram’s bail petition, saying he was an influential person and had destroyed evidence in the case.
On March 13, the court had asked the investigating agency to file a status report in response to the plea.
Chidambaram had moved the High Court seeking bail, soon after a court in Delhi, on March 12, sent him to judicial custody till March 24. He had been in the custody of the Central Bureau of Investigation since his arrest from Chennai airport on February 28.
In May 2017, the Enforcement Directorate had filed a money laundering case against Karti Chidambaram, INX Media and its directors Indrani Mukerjea and Peter Mukerjea. Chidambaram’s company allegedly received Rs 10 lakh from INX Media – which had received clearance from the Foreign Exchange Promotion Board for Rs 4 crore in foreign funding, when in fact it had got Rs 305 crore in 2007. P Chidambaram was the finance minister in the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government at that time.
The money was paid to Karti Chidambaram in return for help to get away without facing any punitive action, investigators had told the court. Karti Chidambaram has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing in the INX Media case.