The Delhi High Court on Friday extended the interim protection from arrest granted to former Union Minister P Chidambaram in the INX media case, ANI reported.

The senior Congress leader, whose alleged role is being scrutinised in the Rs 3,500-crore Aircel-Maxis deal and the Rs 305-crore INX Media case, will have protection from arrest till October 25.

Chidambaram moved an anticipatory bail petition in the High Court on July 23. The court initially granted him interim protection till August 1 and later extended it to September 28. The petition said that although the Enforcement Directorate had not issued summons to Chidambaram in this case, he was apprehensive he would be arrested because of summons from the Central Bureau of Investigation.

In August, the Supreme Court refused to interfere with a Delhi High Court order granting bail to the former minister’s son Karti Chidambaram.

The case

In May 2017, the Enforcement Directorate filed a money laundering case against Karti Chidambaram, INX Media and its directors Indrani Mukerjea and Peter Mukerjea. Karti Chidambaram’s company allegedly received Rs 10 lakh from INX Media – which had got 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 the time.

The money was paid to Karti Chidambaram in return for help to get away without facing any punitive action, investigators have told the court. Karti Chidambaram has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing in the INX Media case.