INX media case: 'Can one appear on such short notice?' asks Chidambaram's lawyer
New Delhi: Soon after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had put up a notice outside P Chidambaram's residence to appear before them in two hours, the lawyer of the former Finance Minister and senior Congress leader requested the CBI not to take any coercive action until hearing of Chidambaram's plea in the Supreme Court at 10:30 am today.
"I am addressing this communication on behalf of and under instructions from my client P Chidambaram. It has come to my client's knowledge through reports in the media that the subject 'Notice' dated 20.08.2019 has been affixed outside my client's residence at around midnight, directing him to attend your office within 2 hours of the receipt of this notice for the purpose of investigation of the captioned FIR," said Chidambaram's lawyer Arshdeep Singh Khurana in an e-mail to R. Parthasarthy, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), CBI.
"I am instructed to state that your Notice fails to mention the provision of law under which my client has been issued a notice at midnight calling upon him to appear at a short notice of 2 hours. Furthermore, kindly note that my client is exercising the rights available to him in law and had approached the Supreme Court on 20.08.2019 seeking urgent reliefs in respect of the Order dated 20.08.2019 dismissing his anticipatory bail application no. 1316/2018 in the captioned FIR," Khurana stated.
"On moving the Supreme Court at 4:30 pm on 20.08.2019, he has been permitted by the Supreme Court to mention the urgent Special Leave Petition against the above-said order before the Supreme Court at 10:30 am on 21.08.2019. I, therefore, request you to not take any coercive action against my client till then and await the above-mentioned hearing at 10:30 am on 21.08.2019. My client is a law-abiding citizen and assures his full cooperation in your investigation," he added.
The CBI had on Tuesday night put up a notice outside the residence of Chidambaram to appear before them in the next two hours.
On Tuesday, the Delhi High Court had dismissed Chidambaram's both anticipatory bail pleas in connection with INX Media case.
First, a team of CBI officials reached Chidambaram's Jor Bagh residence and left after finding him not there. Shortly later, a team of ED officials also went to his residence and failed to locate him.
The High Court rejected the former finance minister's anticipatory bail plea in the two cases filed by the CBI and the ED related to his alleged role in INX Media scam.
Chidambaram's legal team consisting of top lawyers Kapil Sibal and Abhishek Manu Singhvi will approach the senior-most judge of the Supreme Court on Wednesday to seek a stay of the High Court order.
Read: CBI issues notice to Chidambaram, asks him to appear within two hours
"Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi has asked us to appear before the senior-most judge of the top court in the morning tomorrow," Sibal told reporters after approaching Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi in the court.
