In a recent development in the INX Media case, a CBI court in Delhi granted bail to six bureaucrats who were part of the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) panel which granted approval to INX Media raising controversy.
Senior Congress leader and former union minister P Chidambaram is also involved in the case. He was also produced before the court.
Read: ED opposes Chidambaram’s bail plea, claims he wields ‘substantial influence’ on witnesses
The court issued a notice to CBI on the bureaucrats’ bail plea and has posted the matter for hearing on December 17. Ajay Kumar Kuhar, special CBI judge directed all the bureaucrats to furnish a bail bond of Rs 2 lakh each and one surety of like amount.
The six bureaucrats who got bail in the case are Ajeet Kumar Dungdung, then section officer of FIPB Unit, Ministry of Finance; Rabindra Prasad, then under secretary FIPB Unit, Ministry of Finance; Pradeep Kumar Bagga, then OSD, Department of Economic Affairs, Finance Ministry; Prabodh Saxena, Director, FIPB Unit, Finance Ministry; Anup K Pujari, then Joint Secretary (Foreign Trade) Department of Economic Affairs; and Sindhushree Khullar, then Additional Secretary Department of Economic Affairs.
In connection with the case, the CBI had filed the charge sheet against 14 accused. Apart from these six bureaucrats, others are P Chidambaram, Karti Chidambaram, his accountant S Bhaskaran, former INX Media director Peter Mukerjea, INX Media, INX News, Chess Management Services and ASCPL.
Indrani Mukerjea, former director of INX Media has been pardoned by the court on turning an approver in the case. The CBI told the court that it had necessary sanctions to prosecute all the accused public servants involved in the case.
The accused have been charged under sections of IPC including criminal conspiracy, cheating, forgery and for taking gratification and criminal misconduct under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The case relates to alleged irregularities in the Rs 305 crore FIPB clearance to the INX Media in 2007. At that time P Chidambaram was the finance minister and his involvement in the clearance granted is alleged by the CBI.
(With inputs from agencies)