HC Refuses Bail, Chidambaram Goes Missing!

The Delhi High Court ended two year’s interim bail of former finance minister and senior leader of Congress P. Chidambaram yesterday. He immediately asked for protection against arrest, but the HC denied anticipatory bail as well. He then applied to SC for anticipatory bail, but he was told that a senior bench will hear his plea on Wednesday.

Chidambaram was on interim bail in two-decade-old corruption charges, which are being investigated by ED and CBI. When he was head of the finance ministry, irregularities were seen in FIPB clearance of Rs 3500 crore Aircel-Maxis deal and Rs.305 crore FDI in Inx Media.

Justice Sunil Gaur commented that he being an MP, does not entitle him for pre-arrest bail, as it would give a wrong message to the society. Chidambaram denied any involvement in these cases and told that the government is targeting him. But Justice Gaur said, “It is preposterous to say the prosecution of Chidambaram is baseless, politically motivated and an act of vendetta. It is a classic case of money laundering”.

Yesterday evening, a team of CBI reached Chidambaram’s residence to arrest him but they could not find him there. The storm cloud still hangs over him and he can be arrested any time, till the hearing takes place in Supreme Court by the bench headed by Justice N V Ramana.