Delhi High Court to hear Karti's plea against ED tomorrow

New Delhi: Karti Chidambaram, son of senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram, on Thursday moved Delhi High Court seeking quashing of summons issued by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the INX Media money laundering case.

The lawyers of Karti Chidambaram mentioned the matter before Justice S. Ravindra Bhat and got it listed for hearing on Friday.

The division bench of Justice S. Muralidhar and Justice I.S. Mehta will hear the case of Karti Chidambaram, who is currently in custody of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the INX Media case.

The move came after the Supreme Court on Thursday permitted Karti Chidambaram to withdraw his petition challenging the issuance of summons by the ED and approach the Delhi High Court.

During the day, the Supreme Court bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice A.M. Khanwilkar and Justice D.Y. Chandrachud asked the acting Chief Justice of Delhi High Court to constitute a bench that will hear and deal with the prayer for interim relief on Friday.

The top court in its order noted that Karti Chidambaram will move the high court during the course of the day (Thursday).

Karti Chidambaram is being investigated for allegedly receiving money to facilitate Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance to INX Media in 2007 when his father was the Finance Minister in UPA government.

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Senior counsel Kapil Sibal and Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for Karti Chidambaram, decided to withdraw the plea from the apex court against the ED after Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta opposed the plea for interim protection from arrest as it would set a wrong precedent since 50 similar pleas involving "ordinary criminals" are pending before the court.

Both Sibal and Singhvi told the court that they were apprehending that Karti Chidambaram would be picked up by the ED after release from the CBI custody.

They said matter relates to same transaction and the CBI has already fully investigated Karti Chidambaram.

The court was told that the ED could not act in the matter in the absence of an FIR or a complaint.