JOIN USFormer finance minister P Chidambaram on Tuesday moved a Delhi court, accusing the CBI of leaking parts of the charge sheet in the Aircel-Maxis case to a media group and thus making a mockery of the judicial process.
Chidambaram, who has been named in the charge sheet along with 18 others in the 3,500 crore Aircel-Maxis case, has yet not received a copy from the investigating agency.
"Since this court is yet to take cognisance of the charge sheet, it appears that the CBI has clandestinely provided a copy of the same to the newspaper which is publishing the same in instalments only to sensationalise the issue and prejudice the accused named therein even before cognisance is taken by this court,” the application moved in Delhi's Patiala House Court, stated.
Chidambaram also said that the CBI was not interested in a fair trial by a court of law and that it wanted a trial by the media.
The senior Congress leader, however, said that he has not sought any orders from the court.
The court issued a notice to the investigating agency and sought its response by October 8.
“CBI is not interested in a fair trial in a court of law. It wants a trial by the media. CBI is making a mockery of the judicial process.
“CBI charge sheet has not been given to the persons therein. Yet it is leaked to one servile newspaper which publishes it in instalments,” Chidambaram said in a series of tweets.
Earlier, Chidambaram had said that it was the FIPB that had then decided if a proposal fell within the competence of the finance minister. “FIPB put up the proposal to me and I approved it along with 20 other proposals," he said.