Sometimes surprise comes in all packages. Even former Union minister P Chidambaram too was not spared from this. Last week he was granted interim protection from arrest by the Delhi High Court in the INX Media case, but it was not present in the written order though it was orally pronounced.
Correcting the mistake, Justice A K Pathak on Monday wrote the announced oral order which said that the ‘interim order shall continue till the next date of hearing, that is August 1’. Finding that the previous order was only announced in oral form and not finding a mention in the Justice Pathak’s written order of July 3, Chidambaram’s counsel – senior advocate Dayan Krishnan and advocates Pramod Dubey and Arshdeep Singh – raised in the high court today.
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Requesting the written content to be added in the order, they said there was urgency in the matter as the July 3 order was made available on July 6, which had only stated that “Learned ASG submits that reply will be filed during course of the day. List on August 1, 2018 at the end of the Board. In the meanwhile, rejoinder, if any, be filed.” After the CBI investigating officer said he had no objections, the court added the line in the order.
P Chidambaram who was earlier granted interim protection from arrest on May 31, but interim order was continued till the next date of hearing, that is August 1. When the counsel saw the loop in the order, the matter was mentioned before a bench headed by Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal in the morning, which ordered its listing before the concerned judge today itself.
Last year on May 15, the CBI had registered an FIR against Chidambaram for alleged irregularities in the FIPB clearance to the INX Media for receiving overseas funds to the tune of Rs 305 crore in 2007 during his tenure as the Finance Minister. Chidambaram’s son Karti was also arrested in the matter on February 28 for allegedly receiving funds to the tune of Rs 10 lakh in the case.
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