The Delhi High Court has confirmed it will hear the petitions of Congress leaders P Chidambaram and his son Karti Chidambaram, regarding the INX media case, on April 28, declining any proceedings prior to this date. Justice Ravinder Dudeja made it clear that the court would not advance the hearing, scheduled initially by the trial court for April 22.
During the hearing, the Chidambarams’ counsel highlighted concerns that the trial court’s imminent proceedings on framing charges could render their petitions moot if not delayed. Senior advocate Sidharth Luthra, along with advocate Akshat Gupta, argued that the ongoing CBI investigation, which they claimed was incomplete, hindered a fair argument on the charges.
The court’s decision came after it reviewed the nature of the case, which involves allegations of irregularities in Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) approvals granted to the INX Media group in 2007, purportedly during P Chidambaram’s tenure as the Finance Minister. The CBI alleges that these irregularities involved a bribe for securing overseas funds amounting to Rs 305 crore.
Responding to these petitions, the CBI counsel argued there was sufficient evidence to proceed with framing charges, asserting that the ongoing status of the investigation should not prevent this process.
In their pleas to the High Court, the Chidambarams have challenged the trial court’s decision not to postpone the framing of charges, claiming a violation of their right to a fair trial under Article 21 of the Constitution. They emphasized the extensive duration since the alleged offense and the protracted nature of the ongoing investigation, which has continued for approximately seven years.
P Chidambaram faced arrest in August 2019 over this corruption case and was subsequently detained in a related money laundering case by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in October of the same year. He secured bail in both instances by the end of 2019. Similarly, Karti Chidambaram was arrested in February 2018 but was granted bail a month later.
