The Delhi High Court today granted interim protection till July 3 to former Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram after he filed an anticipatory bail application in relation to the INX media case.
Chidambaram had approached the Court yesterday and had submitted that he has an apprehension of arrest, as the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had suddenly and in a completely mala fide manner, issued a notice directing him to appear on May 31.
It was stated that he is named neither as an accused nor as a suspect in the subject FIR. It was also stated that he apprehends his arrest because of the circumstances under which his son Karti Chidambaram was arrested. The younger Chidambaram is also out on bail in relation to the same case.
P Chidambaram, in his application for anticipatory bail, had also stated that the whole exercise was part of a political vendetta against him, and that the investigating agencies have been working at the behest of the Central government.
Appearing for the CBI, ASG Tushar Mehta submitted that the notice issued to Chidambaram clearly states that he is only being called for questioning in furtherance of the investigation.
Chidambaram was represented by Senior Advocates Kapil Sibal and Abhishek Manu Singhvi.
The Single Judge Bench of Justice AK Pathak stated that the assurance being given by the ASG will have to be honored by others, and not just by the ASG himself.
The Court, however, did not decide the anticipatory bail application. It proceeded to grant interim protection against arrest till July 3. It has also asked CBI to file a reply within two weeks.
