INX media case: Delhi High Court not to hear pleas by P Chidambaram, Karti pleas before April 28

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Thursday refused to hear before April 28 the pleas of Congress leaders P Chidambaram and his son Karti Chidambaram to defer arguments on framing of charges in the INX media case.

Justice Ravinder Dudeja said the court would take up the matter on the set date, April 28, and noted the parties could make a request to the trial court to defer the hearing scheduled before it on April 22.

Observing that advancing the hearing was not possible, the judge said, "April 28 is not far away. We will hear the matter."

"Petitions will be taken up for hearing at 3:30 pm on the date fixed," it ordered.

The counsel appearing for the Chidambarams said the trial court was slated to take up the issue of framing of charges on April 22 and their pleas would be infructuous.

Senior advocate Sidharth Luthra and advocate Akshat Gupta said it was not possible to argue the aspect of charges when the CBI's investigation was not yet over and requested the court to hear the plea to stay the proceedings.

He referred to a previous hearing when the trial court expressed its reservations on stalling its proceedings at the current stage saying there was no such direction from the high court.

The CBI registered its case on May 15, 2017, alleging irregularities in a Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance granted to the INX Media group for receiving overseas funds of Rs 305 crore in 2007 during P Chidambaram's tenure as finance minister.

On November 18, 2024, the high court sought the CBI's stand on the pleas.

The CBI counsel claimed the presence of "sufficient material" to show the "demand of bribe" and said the framing of charges should not be stopped owing to any pending investigation.

In the pleas before the high court, the Chidambarams challenged a trial court order refusing to defer the arguments of charge.

The pleas contended that the chargesheet filed by the CBI in the case was incomplete and the accused persons were yet to be given access to all the material collected by the agency as probe on certain aspects was going on.

Karti, in his plea, has said the necessity of further investigation being concluded before consideration of charge impacts his right to fair trial under Article 21 of the Constitution.

More than 17 years, the plea said, have lapsed since the period of the alleged offence and about seven years have lapsed since the commencement of investigation.

Yet further investigation remains pending even as on date, it added.

P Chidambaram was arrested by the CBI in the INX Media corruption case on August 21, 2019. On October 16 that year, the ED arrested him in a related money laundering case.

Six days later, on October 22, 2019, the apex court granted bail to Chidambaram in the case lodged by the CBI. In the ED case, he got bail on December 4, 2019.

Karti was arrested by the CBI in February 2018 and he was granted bail in March 2018 in the INX Media corruption case.