CBI notice to Chidambaram doesn't mention provision of law

New Delhi, Aug 21: Responding to a CBI notice pasted outside the residence of former Union Minister P. Chidambaram, one of the lawyers of the Congress leader told the agency on Wednesday that it has not mentioned the provision of law under which it was issued.

Arshdeep Singh Khurana said in a letter to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI): "Your notice fails to mention the provision of law under which my client has been issued a notice to appear within two hours.

"Furthermore, my client is exercising the rights available to him in law and had approached the Supreme Court on August 20 seeking urgent relief in respect of the order dismissing his anticipatory bail (in INX media case).

"He (Chidambaram) has been permitted by the Supreme Court to mention the urgent special leave petition against the order before court... I, therefore, request you not to take any coercive action against my client till then."

The CBI on Tuesday pasted the notice outside Chidambaram's Jor Bagh residence when its six member team did not find him there.

The notice read: "Whereas it appears that you are acquainted with the facts and circumstances of the cases noted below which I am now investigating under chapter XII of CrPc, you are hereby directed to attend before me within two hours of the receipt for the purpose of the investigation of the case."

Chidambaram was told to appear before R. Parthasarthy, CBI Deputy Superintendent of Police to record his statement under Section 161 of the CrPC.

An ED team had also visited Chidambaram's residence on Tuesday.

In the last 12 hours, CBI and ED teams have visited four times the Congress leader's home.

The CBI and ED action came after the Delhi High Court on Tuesday rejected the anticipatory bail plea of Chidambaram in connection with cases of alleged money laundering and corruption related to INX Media.

A battery of Chidambaram's lawyers headed by senior advocate and Congress leader Kapil Sibal on Wednesday mentioned the plea before a Supreme Court bench headed by Justice N.V. Ramana who refused to grant the leader interim relief from arrest and referred his matter to Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi for urgent hearing.

Chidambaram's lawyers are now to put the matter for argument before the CJI seeking his protection from arrest.

Chidambaram, a seven-time Lok Sabha MP and now a Rajya Sabha member, could not be reached.

The CBI is investigating Chidambaram in the INX Media case, which it had registered on May 15, 2017 alleging irregularities in the FIPB clearance granted to the media group for receiving overseas funds of Rs 305 crore in 2007 when he was the Finance Minister.

The ED is probing the money laundering case which it lodged in 2018.