Broad allegations against Mr. P. Chidambaram pertain to kickbacks received by his son Karti Chidambaram through companies and firms controlled by Karti for granting approval to make Foreign Direct Investment in a proposed TV Channel by INX Media. The investigation and statements recorded during the investigation carried out by the CBI revealed that the companies controlled by Karti P. Chidambaram were not carrying out any genuine business activities. The investigation showed that several transactions carried out by these companies were not genuine and the revenue generated by the company was done through fake transactions and raising fake invoices. The money received by companies controlled by Karti Chidambaram was actually the illegal gratification received for the approval given by P. Chidambaram to INX Media during his tenure as a Finance Minister for giving FDI Approval to INX Media for investing in a proposed TV Channel. The illegal money received by the firms controlled by Karti Chidambaram was later used to make investments in other companies and purchase property. In simple words, money received from illegal sources was used to make investment to make it look legitimate. This was a clear case of money laundering and converting black money into white money.

 

Since, the case involved illegal money running into crores, granting anticipatory bail could have been highly prejudicial to further investigation that may carried out by the ED and CBI. Custodial interrogation of Mr. P. Chidambaram would help unearth a larger conspiracy.

 

For incidents before the Supreme Court, it is clear from the Supreme Court Rules, 2013 that fresh matters (matter where the Court has not issued notice to the other party when the matter comes up before the Court for the first time) only the Chief Justice of India can list the matter out of turn. It was unfair for P. Chidambaram to expect that his matter should be listed out of turn especially when it was filed the very same day and was not published in the Supreme Court cause list. Justice Rammana’s bench could not have listed the matter on mentioning as fresh matter have to be mentioned before the Chief Justice of India as per Supreme Court Rules. Law applies equally to everyone.