New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Thursday extended former Union minister P Chidambaram interim protection from arrest till January 15 next year in the Central Bureau of Investigation's INX Media corruption case.
The counsel for the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had sought adjournment as the Solicitor General Tushar Mehta was in the Supreme Court.
Chidambaram had in May rushed to a trial court for protection from arrest in Aircel-Maxis case before approaching the Delhi High Court in connection with the INX Media case.
Chidambaram's role has come under the scanner of investigating agencies in the Aircel-Maxis deal of Rs 35 billion and INX Media case involving Rs 3.05 billion. It was during his tenure as finance minister in the UPA-1 regime that FIPB clearance was granted to the two ventures in which alleged irregularities have been found.
In the INX Media case, the CBI had registered an FIR on May 15, 2017, against alleged irregularities in the FIPB clearance to INX Media for receiving overseas funds to the tune of Rs 3.05 billion in 2007 when Chidambaram was finance minister.
Chidambaram's son Karti Chidambaram was also arrested in the matter for allegedly receiving funds to the tune of Rs 1 million in the case.
The other accused in the case include then INX Media Director Indrani Mukerjea and then INX News Director Peter Mukerjea.
With PTI Inputs
