INX Media case: SC to hear Karti's fresh plea tomorrow

New Delhi: The Supreme Court will tomorrow hear a fresh plea from Karti Chidambaram, son of former Union minister P Chidambaram, seeking quashing of the Enforcement Directorate’s summons against him in the INX Media case.

In his fresh writ petition, Karti Chidambaram has challenged the summons on the ground that the ED has no jurisdiction to issue such notices based on the FIR lodged by the CBI. The plea was mentioned today by his counsel before a bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud, which agreed to hear it along with related pending matters scheduled for hearing tomorrow.

The apex court is likely to hear tomorrow the anticipatory bail plea of Karti Chidambaram, who is presently in CBI custody in the case. The top court had earlier refused to stay the summons issued by the ED, saying he could make a request in this regard to the competent authority. It had posted the matter for hearing today after senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Karti Chidambaram, had sought time to file a proper application to challenge the ED proceedings.

An FIR, filed on May 15 last year, had alleged irregularities in the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance to INX Media for receiving overseas funds to the tune of Rs 305 crore in 2007 when P Chidambaram was Union finance minister. The apex court was hearing pleas, including the CBI’s appeal, challenging the Madras High Court order staying a lookout circular (LOC) issued against Karti.

The CBI had on September 1 last year said there were “good, cogent” reasons for issuing the LOC. The Chidambarams, however, have denied all the charges made against them. Earlier, a single judge bench of the Madras High Court had stayed the LOC issued against Karti Chidambaram and others in the graft case.

Later, the apex court considered the CBI appeal and stayed the operation of the high court order staying the LOC. The Supreme Court, however, has kept to itself another batch of petitions related to registration of FIR in the corruption case.