A day after the CBI filed a charge sheet against Congress leader P Chidambaram's wife Nalini alleging she had received Rs 1.4 crore from Saradha group of companies relating to a chit fund scam in West Bengal, Nalini Chidambaram was granted four weeks of interim anticipatory bail by Madras High Court on Saturday.
In a special sitting constituted to hear the anticipatory bail application moved by Nalini, Justice G K Illanthiraiya passed the interim order granting four weeks interim bail to her. The court also directed her to surrender before the chief judicial magistrate of Egmore furnishing sureties and thereafter approach the jurisdictional court concerned to obtain regular anticipatory bail.
In her petition, Nalini alleged that the Central government has been misusing central agencies by filing false cases against members of the Chidambaram family for the last four years for political vendetta. "The present charge sheet is the latest in the series of false cases filed against the family. In course of the profession, I received fees from Saradha Realty Limited on behalf of Manoranjana Sinh in connection with Positive TV which was valued at Rs 200 crore," she said.
Notably, her name does not figure in the previous CBI charge sheets against the proprietor of Saradha Group Sudipto Sen and his companies in connection with the alleged chit fund scam, she said.
On January 11, CBI filed the sixth supplementary charge sheet before the additional chief judicial magistrate of Alipur, 24 Pargana, West Bengal for alleged offences under Sections 120B, 420, 406, 409 of the IPC, the counsel for Nalini said.
Pointing out that the CBI has already recorded in an earlier supplementary charge sheet that Rs 1.4 crore was paid to the petitioner towards her legal expenses, she contended that there cannot be a change in the CBI's stand by changing the colour of the payment from a legal fee to bribe money.
She further argued that it is settled law that after registration of an FIR and till the time of filing charge sheet, if a person is not arrested, then he/she need not to be subjected to custodial investigation. The person can appear before the court concerned after receipt of summons, she added.
No Mention So Far
Nalini Chidambaram’s name does not figure in the previous CBI charge sheets against the proprietor of Saradha Group Sudipto Sen and his companies in connection with the scam
