INX Media: Court reserves order on bail of six bureaucrats

A Delhi court on Tuesday reserved for Wednesday its order on regular bail application moved by six bureaucrats who were part of the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) panel which granted approval to INX Media, in the case involving former Finance Minister P. Chidambaram.

Special CBI Judge Ajay Kumar Kuhar reserved the order for Wednesday 3 p.m. after hearing prosecution and defence.

The bureaucrats are currently out on bail in the case. The interim bail is a temporary bail for a period in which the court can ask for documents to be presented which are required to make a final decision on the bail application.

The six bureaucrats 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.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had filed the chargesheet against 14 accused -- P. Chidambaram, Karti Chidambaram, his accountant S. Bhaskaran, former INX Media director Peter Mukerjea, INX Media, INX News, Chess Management Services, ASCPL and six bureaucrats.

The accused have been charged under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including for criminal conspiracy, cheating, forgery and for taking gratification and criminal misconduct under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

In August, P. Chidambaram was arrested by the CBI for alleged irregularities in the Rs 305 crore FIPB clearance to INX Media in 2007 when he was the Finance Minister. He was later let out on bail.