Chidambaram INX Media Case Highlights - No witch hunt, only serious money laundering: ED on Chidambaram case

The Supreme Court on Wednesday extended by a day former union minister P Chidambaram’s interim protection from arrest in a case being probed by Enforcement Directorate in INX media case.In his arguments, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said to give documents in the case would upset the apple cart of investigation. He asked the top court to look at the documents to show it’s not witch hunting but is a serious case of money laundering. Mehta, who was arguing for the Enforcement Directorate, told the Supreme Court that specific information had been received from foreign banks which include inputs on Chidambaram’s properties abroad. “Statutory entities abroad have given specific inputs of properties like their location, ownership etc in detail and letters rogatory were also issued. Follow highlights here

5.05 pm IST

SC will continue to hear P. Chidambaram’s plea tomorrow

The apex court will hear former finance minister’s plea against the Delhi High Court verdict dismissing his anticipatory bail probed by ED in INX media case.

Supreme Court will continue to hear tomorrow plea of P. Chidambaram against Delhi High Court’s order of dismissing his anticipatory plea on a case being probed by Enforcement Directorate (ED) in INX media case. https://t.co/BRHdCxPsYp

— ANI (@ANI) August 28, 2019

4.30pm IST

Chidambaram’s protection from arrest extended by 1 day in ED case

On Wednesday, the Supreme Court extended by a day P Chidambaram’s interim protection from arrest in a case being probed by Enforcement Directorate in INX media case.

4.28pm IST

Ghost being created playing victim card: SG Mehta in Chidambaram case

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said he wanted the court to peruse not just the case diary but also the documents. “A ghost is created playing victim card. I want the court to examine the record. Constitutional courts are not bound by fetters of law to do justice,” the SG argued.

4.25pm IST

Tushar Mehta argues INX Media case ‘is a case of money laundering’

Arguing in the P Chidambaram case, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said to give documents would upset the apple cart of investigation. He asked the court to look at the documents to show it’s not witch hunting but is a serious case of money laundering.

4.21pm IST

‘Answers could differ in cases like this’: ED at Chidambaram case hearing

“In a case like this where there is well crafted layers of money laundering, the answers would differ when the accused is in custody and when under protective umbrella of bail,” Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said. Would it be mandatory for me to first put the documents to him and then arrest him under the PMLA, SG asks the court.

4.10pm IST

Got ‘specific inputs’ of properties, Solicitor General tells court

At the hearing in the P Chidambaram matter in the INX Media case, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the Supreme Court that nothing is to be supplied to the accused at the time he is arguing for anticipatory bail. He said statutory entities abroad have given “specific inputs” of properties like their location, ownership etc in detail and letters rogatory also issued.

3:23 am IST

Money laundering continued after amendment of PMLA Act too: ED

Responding to P Chidambaram’s argument that alleged transaction took place before it was an offence i.e. prior to amendment of PMLA Act in 2009, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing ED in the INX media case, said that the senior Congress leader’s argument will be countered by showing that laundering of transaction money continued after that as well, reported by news agency ANI.

3:10 pm IST

What ED accuses Chidambaram of

The Enforcement Directorate has accused Chidambaram and his aides of creating “layers of money laundering web in a manner which is sufficient to make it difficult for law enforcement agencies to track the money trail of proceeds of crime.”

The case is related to alleged irregularities in Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance given to the INX Media group for foreign investment to the tune of ₹305 crore in 2007 when the UPA was in power and P Chidambaram was the finance minister.

3:00 pm IST

Probing agencies didn’t have questions for Chidambaram: Singhvi

Former finance minister P Chidambaram’s legal team had on Tuesday told the apex court that the probing agencies didn’t have any questions for the senior Congress leader, instead their prime objective of wanting his custody was to “humiliate, humiliate, and humiliate” him.

“Only point of custody here is humiliation, humiliation. All letters of humiliation in capitals,” Singhvi told a bench of justices R Banumathi and AS Bopanna on Tuesday.

2:51 pm IST

P Chidambaram rejected ED charges

Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram had on Tuesday filed an affidavit before the Supreme Court to deny allegations by the ED that he possessed properties abroad or had bank accounts bought with the money allegedly laundered the INX-Media case.

“The petitioner submits on oath before this Hon’ble Court and even at risk of facing perjury, if found to be not stating the complete truth, that he has no account or any property abroad much less 17 accounts and 10 properties, as alleged by the Respondent ED”, the Congress leader said in the rejoinder affidavit. “Each and every asset owned by him has been disclosed in statutory filings and he has no asset other than the assets disclosed therein,” read the document.

2:45 pm IST

Chidambaram was laundering money even on day complaint was filed: ED

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the Supreme Court that on the day of registration of complaint against Chidambaram, money laundering was going by him.

2:38 pm IST

Accused can’t have access to material collected by ED: Mehta

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing ED in the INX media case, said argued that one can be arrested on basis of statutory material in his possession.

“The threshold for arrest under PMLA is higher then under IPC. The moment chargesheet is filed, we will supply the material to the accused. But here the accused wants to have access to material collected by ED, it cant happen,” he said.

2:25 pm IST

Solicitor General explains why SC must read documents in ‘sealed cover’

Former finance minister P Chidambaram’s lawyer Kapil Sibal had earlier said the Supreme Court must not read affidavit submitted by ED in a sealed cover. As a response to this, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta explained why the court must take a look at the submitted documents. He said “every PMLA case has two aspects, one is the main crime, which would be investigated by some other agency (CBI) and proceeds of crime or laundering part, which is investigated by the ED.

2:10 pm IST

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta begins argument

Beginning his argument, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said “we are concerned about the laundering aspect, and here we deal with very intelligent people, foolish people can’t launder.

He said that the offence, which Chidamabaram is accused of committing, is never committed in the heat of the moment and is rather very well thought out crime and this makes collection of evidence difficult

“Most of laundering offences are digital offences. Once the chargesheet is filed, the evidence disappears in minutes and its a notable aspect of money laundering,” he added.