Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court received the prosecution sanction order against former Union Minister P Chidambaram from the ED in the decade-old INX Media laundering case. This submission fulfills Supreme Court-mandated requirements and sets the stage for substantive hearings against one of India’s most prominent political figures.
The saga began with CBI registering an FIR in 2017 over irregularities in FIPB nod for INX Media’s foreign investment during Chidambaram’s finance portfolio. ED’s PMLA inquiry exposed a sophisticated laundering scheme where bribes were allegedly received and cycled through Karti-controlled companies.
Key findings include Rs 65.88 crore in criminal proceeds, laundered via shell firms into healthcare investments, share disposals, and property acquisitions in India and abroad. Attachments worth Rs 65 crore stand validated, bolstering the agency’s case.
A 2020 complaint arraigned nine accused, supplemented in 2024 with additional evidence. Supreme Court’s 2024 verdict linking CrPC sanction to PMLA stalled multiple probes, prompting ED to streamline approvals. The February 2026 sanction directly addresses this, filed promptly to court.
This development revives scrutiny on UPA-era decisions, highlighting tensions between investigative autonomy and political influence. With legal safeguards now in place, the judiciary’s role in unraveling these allegations grows ever critical.