SC adjourns hearing on CBI’s plea against interim bail to ex-ICICI Bank chief Chanda Kochhar

New Delhi, Jan 3 (IANS) The Supreme Court on Wednesday adjourned till January 12 the hearing on the CBI’s petition challenging the interim bail granted by the Bombay High Court to former ICICI Bank chief Chanda Kochhar in the alleged Videocon loan fraud case.

A Bench of Justices Bela M Trivedi and Pankaj Mithal took note of the fact that the Bombay High Court was due to hear Kochhar’s case on January 5, including the application filed by the CBI for vacation of the interim bail order.

During the hearing, Additional Solicitor General (ASG) SV Raju, appearing for the central investigative agency, urged the apex court to pass orders requiring Kochhar to not seek adjournment in the High Court.

ASG Raju said, “Let them not ask for time (before the High Court).”

The matter will now be heard by the Supreme Court on January 12.

In the previous hearing, senior advocate Amit Desai, who appeared on Kochhar’s behalf via video conferencing, submitted that he was facing connectivity issues and intended to appear physically for making submissions before the apex court.

Thereafter, the top court decided that it will take up the matter for further hearing on January 3, 2024.

In a Special Leave Petition before the Supreme Court, the CBI had challenged the Bombay HC decision directing release of Kochhar and her husband Deepak Kochhar from judicial custody on the grounds that the arrest made was not in accordance with the law.

Interestingly, the High Court order of January 9 last year, granting interim bail for two weeks only, is still continuing.

Kochhar and her family are alleged to have received kickbacks over her tenure in lieu of loans provided to the Videocon group.