INX Media case: SC asks trial court to consider Chidambaram's request for interim bail
New Delhi: The Supreme Court Monday asked the trial court to consider P Chidambaram's request for interim bail in the INX Media corruption case after the former finance minister said that he not be sent to Tihar jail under judicial custody and offered to be in house arrest.
The apex court said if Chidambaram's request for interim bail is not considered by the trial court on Monday itself, his CBI custody would be extended by three more days.
A bench of justices R Banumathi and A S Bopanna directed CBI to file its response on Chidambaram's plea challenging the non-bailable warrant (NBW) issued against him and the subsequent orders of the trial court remanding him to CBI custody in the case.
Chidambaram's CBI custody in the INX Media corruption case is expiring today and he will be produced before the concerned trial court during the day.
Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Chidambaram, told the bench that the former minister was arrested pursuant to the NBW and he has been in the CBI custody for last 12 days.
"The NBW should not have been issued. Either give me (Chidambaram) interim bail or put me in house arrest. He (Chidambaram) should not be sent to Tihar Jail," Sibal said, while questioning the issuance of NBW and the subsequent orders of the trial court remanding the former minister to CBI custody.
Remand orders of the trial court can be set aside by the apex court and Chidambaram should be given interim protection till the top court decides his petition, Sibal added.
"He (Chidambaram) has to file regular bail plea," the bench said, adding, "The competent court is seized of the matter. Why should we skip the jurisdiction of the regular court and the High Court?"
To this, the senior advocate said that if Chidambaram is sent to Tihar jail under judicial custody, his petition would become infructuous. Additional Solicitor General K M Nataraj, appearing for CBI, opposed the grant of any interim protection to Chidambaram and said that an accused cannot say that he want to be in either police custody or judicial custody.
Sibal said that Chidambaram will be produced before the trial court today after expiry of his CBI custody and if he would be sent to Tihar under judicial custody, his petition before the apex court would become infructuous.
"Give me (Chidambaram) interim bail or put me in house arrest. He is a 74-year-old man and has been in CBI custody for last 12 days," Sibal said.
The bench said that Chidambaram can make a request in this regard before the trial court. Sibal said however that the trial court would "reject" his request and the top court should give him protection till the pending petition is decided.
The bench, after hearing the submissions, directed Chidambaram to approach the trial court seeking appropriate relief in accordance with the law, including prayer for interim bail.
It said in case the prayer for interim bail is not considered by the concerned court, then Chidambaram's CBI custody will be extended by three more days.
The bench said it would hear Chidambaram's plea on September 5.
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Real Madrid fines Valverde and Tchouaméni half a million euros each for altercation
Barcelona (AP): Real Madrid slapped players Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni with half-a-million-euro ($588,000) fines on Friday for their altercation during practice.
The massive fines came a day after the midfielders tussled when the team trained. Valverde said in a post on social media on Thursday that no punches were thrown. But Valverde knocked his head on a table and he suffered a small cut that required a brief hospital visit.
On social media, Valverde initially called it a “meaningless fight” with a teammate and said “everything has been blown out of proportion."
His employers, however, considered it a significant enough breach of team discipline to nail both Valverde and Tchouaméni with fines that bite even the bank account of a top soccer player. The half-a-million euro penalties reflect the reputational damage the club was enduring in a chaotic end to a disappointing season.
In a statement, the 15-time European champion said its disciplinary action was concluded after both players expressed to the club “their complete remorse for what happened and apologized to one another.”
Madrid added they also apologized to their teammates, the coaching staff and club supporters, as well as showing their willingness to accept whatever disciplinary action the club deemed “opportune.”
Tchouaméni was back training with Madrid on Friday, two days before they play at Barcelona in a clasico. Madrid has to win otherwise Barcelona will be crowned La Liga champion.
After being notified of the fine, he posted a public apology to the club and its fans on social media.
“What happened this week in training is unacceptable,” Tchouaméni wrote. "I say this while thinking about the example we are expected to set for young people, whether in football or at school.
“Above all, I am sorry for the image we projected of the club.”
Valverde was not at practice due to the head knock.
Both players are set to play in the World Cup next month, with Tchouaméni playing for France and Valverde for Uruguay.
Chaotic end to a poor season
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The run-in between the players, who for seasons have played side by side in Madrid's midfield, came after they argued this week in previous training sessions. But tempers boiled over on Thursday. Spanish media was rife with reports that the players previously disagreed over the club's decision to let coach Xabi Alonso go after just months on the job.
It was not the only altercation involving Madrid players during training this week. Álvaro Carreras confirmed he was in a “minor” incident with a teammate. Spanish media said he and fellow defender Antonio Rüdiger got into a scuffle.
Álvaro Arbeloa, the coach who was promoted from Madrid's reserve team when Alonso was fired in January, will face tough questions on what went wrong inside the changing room when he gives a press conference on Saturday ahead of the clasico at Camp Nou.
Madrid is facing a second consecutive campaign without a major trophy amid rumors in the Spanish media that club president Florentino Pérez is considering bringing back Jose Mourinho to straighten out his underperforming team.
