CBI, ED have not found any evidence of payment by INX: Chidambaram to Delhi HC

The court directed Chidambaram’s lawyers to file an affidavit disclosing the source of certain government documents relating to FIPB approval granted to the company, which were being referred to by his lawyers during the hearing of his bail plea.

Rajya Sabha member and former Union minister P Chidambaram on Tuesday told the Delhi High Court that all officers involved in processing files relating to FIPB approval for INX Media are out, as they have done the “right thing”, but the then Finance minister is in “jail”.

“Being a former Home minister and Finance minister is a crime in this country,” senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Abhishek Singhvi, representing Chidambaram, told Justice Suresh Kumar Kait, who is hearing the bail application filed by the Congress leader in the INX Media case, for which he is custody in Tihar Jail.

The court directed Chidambaram’s lawyers to file an affidavit disclosing the source of certain government documents relating to FIPB approval granted to the company, which were being referred to by his lawyers during the hearing of his bail plea.

Sibal and Singhvi argued that so far as allegations of personal gains to Chidambaram is concerned, it is submitted that the “only alleged overt act is payment and receipt of alleged illegal gratification of Rs 10 lakh”.

“It has not even been alleged by CBI that any other illegal gratification was actually paid, or any such payments have been discovered. Pertinently, even as per CBI’s allegation, the said alleged payments of Rs 10 lakh has been made to one Advantage Strategic Consulting Pvt Ltd, and not (to) Mr Chidambaram,” Singhvi contended.

The counsel said neither CBI nor ED has found even an “iota of evidence of any payment by INX Media or INX News to petitioner (Chidambaram)”.

The two counsels, along with senior advocates Salman Khurshid, Dayan Krishnan and N Hariharan, argued that CBI and ED did not have evidence of any undisclosed bank account, undisclosed property, or undisclosed shell company owned by Chidambaram. They said none of offences invoked by CBI against Chidambaram are attracted in this case, and that it will be “foolish” for a person of his profile to “tamper with evidence”, as claimed by CBI.

Singhvi also submitted that Chidambaram is being “painted black” on basis of the testimony of Indrani Mukerjea, who is accused of murdering her own daughter.

He said: “My impeachment is on her (Mukerjea’s) testimony, who if the agency tells that the moon is on earth and earth is on moon, will say so. No credibility can be attached to the statements of Mukerjea.”

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