In a setback to senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram, the Delhi High Court on Tuesday dismissed his anticipatory bail application in the .
“Facts of the case prima facie reveal that petitioner [Mr. Chidambaram] is the kingpin, that is, the key conspirator in this case,” Justice Sunil Gaur remarked, noting that custodial interrogation of the former Finance Minister was required for effective investigation.
Terming it a “classic case of money laundering”, Justice Gaur said the gravity of the offence and Mr. Chidambaram’s evasive responses weighed against him.
He also declined Mr. Chidambaram’s plea for interim protection from arrest so that he could approach the Supreme Court. Within hours of the High Court verdict, Mr. Chidambaram’s legal team, led by senior advocate Kapil Sibal, rushed to the Supreme Court for an urgent hearing of the appeal.
Mr. Sibal was joined by senior advocates A.M. Singhvi and Salman Khurshid in the Supreme Court. However, their efforts for an immediate hearing did not bear fruit. They were advised by the Supreme Court Registry to make an oral mention in court on Wednesday.
Since Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice S.A. Bobde are both part of the Ayodhya Constitution Bench, Mr. Chidambaram's plea is likely to be mentioned before Justice N.V. Ramana. Mr. Sibal said they were yet to get a copy of the High Court decision.
