SC extends protection from arrest to Chidambaram till today

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday extended till Thursday the interim protection from arrest granted to former finance minister P Chidambaram in the INX Media money laundering case lodged by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

A bench of Justices R Banumathi and A S Bopanna heard arguments advanced by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta who said: "This is not a witch hunt as alleged by them. We have material to show that it is a serious case of money laundering. We have collected cogent materials in the case."

Meanwhile, the government is believed to have appointed Justice Sunil Gaur, who had rejected the bail plea of Chidambaram in the INX Media case, as chairman of the PMLA Appellate Tribunal.