INX Media case: ED moves SC against Delhi HC order giving relief to Karti Chidambaram from arrest

INX Media case: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday approached the Supreme Court against the Delhi High Court order giving relief to Karti Chidambaram till March 20 from arrest in the INX Media money laundering case. The ED mentioned the case challenging the order before a bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra, who agreed to hear it on March 15. In an interim relief to Karti Chidambaram, 46, son of Congress leader P. Chidambaram, the High Court on March 9 had asked the ED not to take "any coercive action" against him till the next hearing of the case slated for March 20.

The ED told the apex court that Karti should not have been given protection from arrest as it will become a legal device for accused persons like Nirav Modi to get relief even before they are questioned or investigated by the probe agency.

On March 8, the top court had asked Karti to approach the high court seeking quashing of summons issued by the ED. The high court directed him to cooperate in the investigation, appear before the ED whenever required and submit his passport.

Karti Chidambaram is being interrogated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) since his February 28 arrest.

On Monday, the trial court had sent him to judicial custody till March 24 after the CBI said that further custody was not required.

The CBI investigated him 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 the UPA government.