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CJI Gogoi To Hear Chidambaram's Bail Plea On Friday, Lawyer Assures SC He's Not Running Away

CJI Ranjan Gogoi will hear the bail plea on Friday. Read highlights from the day:
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Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram, who is facing threat of arrest, failed twice to get immediate relief from the Supreme Court on Wednesday before Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi listed it for Friday.

Justice Ramana had refused to grant him urgent hearing on his plea seeking protection from arrest in the INX media scam cases.

The Congress leader is being investigated for money laundering in the case.

Highlights:

5.06 pm: SC hearing on Friday

The Supreme Court will hear Chidambaram’s request for anticipatory bail on Friday. Registrar (Judicial) informed Chidambaram’s lawyer that Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi has listed the matter for hearing on Friday, PTI reports.

4.35 pm: Deliberations in SC’s consultation room

Chidambaram’s team of lawyers is having deliberations in the consultation room in the top court, says PTI. Chidambaram’s lawyers told the new agency they are trying for listing of the matter today itself.

4.31 pm: Case not brought up before CJI

2.32pm: Justice Ramana refers case to CJI Gogoi again

2.27pm: Sibal insists on urgent listing today

Kapil Sibal has insisted on urgent listing today itself, says LiveLaw. Justice Ramana had declined to pass and order, Bar&Bench reports.

2.20 pm: Chidambaram is not running away, Sibal tells court

“Our client is not running away. We are only asking that matter be listed”, Kapil Sibal tells court.

2.11 pm: Chidambaram’s team in court

Chidambaram’s legal team is present in Justice Ramana’s court with senior lawyers including Kapil Sibal, Salman Khurshid and Vivek Tankha, Bar&Bench reports.

1.49 pm: Chidambaram’s appeal in SC

“The Judge’s observation that the petitioner is the kingpin i.e. the key conspirator in this case is completely baseless and supported by no material whatsoever. The judge has ignored the crucial fact that the petitioner simply approved the unanimous recommendation of the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) which was chaired by Secretary, Economic Affairs and consisted of five other Secretaries to the Government of India,” he said in the petition.

Chidambaram said observations of the high court that the magnitude of the case justifies denial of bail is manifestly “illegal and unjust”. Approval was granted for an original investment and the downstream investment.

Contending that his antecedents are “impeccable”, Chidambaram said he is a sitting Member of the Rajya Sabha and has never been accused of any offence.

“There is no possibility of his fleeing from justice. Further, it is the case of the petitioner that despite having cooperated fully with the investigation the object of seeking his arrest is only to humiliate him and injure his reputation,” the plea submitted.

1.14 pm: Congress backs Chidambaram

1.09 pm: Disgraceful misuse of power, says Rahul Gandhi

12.55 pm: Chidambaram says FIR “politically motivated”

Chidambaram has submitted in his petition in the Supreme Court that the high court’s observation that he was the “kingpin” in the INX Media case was completely baseless and that the FIR was “politically motivated and an act of vendetta”.

12.36 pm: CBI, ED don’t want SC to pass an order without hearing them, LiveLaw says

A LiveLaw correspondent tweeted:

12.09 pm: Don’t allow Chidambaram to cross Indian border, says ED

ED’s notice says it should be alerted in case the person is found on their premises. It also asks them to not allow the Congress leader to cross the Indian border without the permission of the ED.

11.38 am: ED issues lookout notice

Enforcement Directorate has issued a fresh lookout circular against P Chidambaram to restrict his movement across land, air and seaports, officials told PTI.

11.20 am: No interim protection from arrest

Appearing in court for Chidambaram, Kapil Sibal requested interim protection from arrest which the Supreme Court bench refused till CJI Gogoi decided on listing the case, LiveLaw reported.

What Happened In The Supreme Court

Justice NV Ramana told senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Chidambaram, that the case will be put before CJI Ranjan Gogoi.

“I am sending it to the Chief Justice of India. He will pass orders,” the bench told Sibal.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the ED and CBI, told the bench that it is a case of money laundering of “monumental magnitude”.

At the outset, Sibal told the apex court that Chidambaram’s plea was dismissed by the Delhi High Court on Tuesday.

He said Chidambaram was granted protection from arrest for more than a year in INX cases lodged by the CBI and ED.

Sibal said the high court had also refused to grant any protection from arrest to Chidambaram to enable him to approach the apex court.

“The matter should be heard. I (Chidamabaram) should not be arrested in the meanwhile,” Sibal said.

Sibal told the court that at 2 am on Wednesday the probe agencies have pasted a notice on Chidambaram’s house that he has to appear before them within two hours.

When Sibal said they have got their petition numbered from the Registry, Justice Ramana said, “You finish all formalities”.

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