New Delhi: In a major setback to the senior Congress leader P Chidambaram, the Supreme Court refused to grant him protection today money-laundering in the case involving INX Media.
“Anticipatory bail has to be exercised sparingly in cases of economic offences. Considering the facts and circumstances, this is not a fit case to grant anticipatory bail,” the Supreme Court said.
The court said that the investigating agency has to be given sufficient freedom to conduct its probe, and the grant of anticipatory bail at this stage would hamper investigation.
The CBI accuses Chidambaram of misusing his position as Finance Minister in 2007 while facilitating a huge infusion of foreign funds in INX Media at the instance of his son Karti Chidambaram.
The allegations against Chidambaram and his son are reportedly based on the information from Peter Mukerjea and Indrani Mukerjea, the INX Media co-founders who are currently jailed in Mumbai in connection with the murder of Indrani’s daughter Sheena Bora.