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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Cash discovery row: Allahabad High Court judge Justice Yashwant Varma resigns
New Delhi (PTI): Embattled Allahabad High Court judge Yashwant Varma, who was facing heat after wads of burnt currency notes were recovered from his residence here last year, has submitted his resignation to President Droupadi Murmu, rendering the impeachment proceedings against him as infructuous.
The purported discovery of a huge stash of cash took place after a fire broke out at Lutyens' Delhi residence of Justice Varma, then a Delhi High Court judge, at around 11:35 pm on the night of Holi on March 14, 2025, prompting the fire department personnel to rush to the spot and douse the flames.
In a letter sent to the President on April 9, the 57-year-old Justice Varma said he was tendering his resignation with "deep anguish" and it was an honour to serve the office.
"Your Excellency, While I do not propose to burden your august office with the reasons which have constrained me to submit this missive, it is with deep anguish that I hereby tender my resignation from the office of Judge of the Hon'ble High Court of Judicature at Allahabad, with immediate effect. It has been an honour to serve in this office," the resignation letter sent to the President on April 9 said.
The pending impeachment proceedings, intended to remove Varma from his office, becomes infructuous due to his resignation.
Consequently, a three-member inquiry committee comprising Supreme Court judge Justice Aravind Kumar, Madras High Court Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava and senior advocate B V Acharya was conducting an inquiry, a condition precedent, before an impeachment motion.
Justice Varma's case saw many twists and turns after he refused to heed to the advice of then CJI Sanjiv Khanna to resign following two damning reports of judges.
Left with no option, Justice Khanna wrote to the President to proceed further to impeach Justice Varma.
He was later repatriated from the Delhi High Court to the Allahabad High.
The top court on January 16 had dismissed Varma's plea challenging the Lok Sabha Speaker's decision to admit an impeachment motion and the validity of a panel set up to inquire corruption charges against him, saying a provision in law cannot be used as a weapon to scuttle parliamentary proceedings.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla admitted a multi-party motion for Justice Varma's removal on August 12 last year.
In an unprecedented move, the apex court on March 22 last year had uploaded on its website an in-house inquiry report, including photos and videos, into alleged discovery of a huge stash of cash at the residence of Justice Varma.
On March 22, 2025 then CJI Khanna had constituted a three-member committee to conduct an inquiry.
Justice Varma had "unequivocally" stated that no cash was ever placed in the storeroom "either by me or any of my family members and (I) strongly denounce the suggestion that the alleged cash belonged to us".
Justice Varma was enrolled as an advocate on August 8, 1992. He was appointed as an additional judge of the Allahabad High Court on October 13, 2014. High Court judges retire at the age of 62.
He took oath as a permanent judge of the Allahabad High Court on February 1, 2016, before being appointed as a judge of the Delhi High Court on October 11, 2021.
A judge of a constitutional court can only be removed from office through an impeachment motion passed by Parliament.
