New Delhi: Former union minister P Chidambaram on Tuesday moved a Delhi court, alleging that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) was leaking parts of the charge sheet in the Aircel-Maxis case to the media “to sensationalise” the issue and “make a mockery of the judicial process”. Special Judge O P Saini issued a notice to the agency and sought its response by 8 October.
In the application, moved by advocates P K Dubey and Arshdeep Singh, the Congress leader alleged that the CBI was not interested in a fair trial in the court of law and only wanted trial by the media.
“Since this court is yet to take cognisance of the charge sheet, it appears that the CBI has clandestinely provided a copy of the same to the newspaper, which is publishing the same in instalments only to sensationalise the issue and prejudice the accused named therein even before cognisance is taken by this court. In the view of the above, it is clear that the CBI is not interested in a fair trial in a court of law and only wants a trial by media, which is causing prejudice to the rights of the accused persons, including the appellant herein,” the application said. It added that the “CBI is making a mockery of the judicial process, resulting in complete travesty of justice.”
Earlier in a series of tweets, the former finance minister alleged that the investigating agency had leaked the charge sheet to the media even before providing copies to the persons named in it. “CBI is not interested in a fair trial in a court of law. It wants a trial by the media. CBI is making a mockery of the judicial process,” he tweeted.
Chidambaram and his son were named in the charge sheet filed by the CBI in the case on 19 July. The CBI is probing how Chidambaram, who was the Union finance minister in 2006, granted a Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) approval to a foreign firm, when only the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) was empowered to do so. The senior Congress leader’s role has come under the scanner of investigating agencies in the Rs 3,500-crore Aircel-Maxis deal and the INX Media case involving Rs 305 crore.