Lekha G
The Delhi High Court has stayed further Trial Court proceedings in the INX Media money laundering case being probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), in which former Union Minister P Chidambaram and his son Karti Chidambaram were accused.
The stay was granted by Justice Suresh Kumar Kait, who sought response from Mr. Chidambaram and other accused in the case on the CBI’s plea challenging a March 5 order of the Trial Court that directed supply of certain documents to the accused.
Advocate Anupam S Sharma, representing the CBI, had argued that the Trial Court falsely directed supply of all documents to accused persons at the stage of Section 207 CrPC. She also further contended that the accused persons were entitled only to those documents relied upon by the prosecution.
The Plea stated, “There is neither any provision in CrPC which casts a duty upon the Investigating Agency to forward to Court documents on which it does not rely upon nor is there any provision in CrPC which empowers the Magistrate to allow the accused to inspect the documents which are neither filed in court nor relied upon by the prosecution and that too at the pre-trial stage”.
The Petition also submitted that the right of the accused in regard to the unveiling of documents is a “Limited right as codified and is the very foundation of a fair investigation and trial”.
Special CBI Court had taken cognizance of the CBI’S charge sheet against P Chidambaram, son Karti Chidambaram and others in the case, on October 21, 2019.
The case relates to a FIR registered by the CBI on May 15, 2017, against alleged irregularities in the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance provided to INX Media for receiving overseas funds of INR 305 crore in 2007, when Mr. Chidambaram was the Finance Minister.
