NEW DELHI, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) -- India's Supreme Court granted bail to country's former federal finance minister P Chidambaram on Wednesday in a money laundering case, officials said.
Chidambaram was arrested on Aug. 21 and lodged in Tihar jail in New Delhi, the capital city of India. He will be walking out of the Tihar jail after being in custody for 106 days.
The top court, however, restricted Chidambaram from travelling abroad and making public statements on the case.
"Today the Supreme Court granted bail to former federal minister P Chidambaram. He was arrested in a case known as INX Media corruption case," an official said. "He has been lodged at the Tihar Jail since Aug. 21 when Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested him in connection with the case."
CBI is India's premier investigating agency.
The apex court directed Chidambaram to furnish a bail bond of 2,787 U.S. dollars along with two sureties of the same amount.
"It is not a rule that bail should be denied in every case. Delhi High Court was justified in denying bail relating to the gravity of the offence. However, we disapprove of the Delhi High Court making observations on the merits of the case," the Supreme Court said.
Chidambaram was first arrested by the CBI on Aug. 21 in the INX Media corruption case and was granted bail by the top court on Oct. 22. The enforcement directorate arrested him on Oct. 16 in the money laundering case.
The CBI registered its case on May 15, 2017, alleging irregularities in Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance granted to the INX Media group for receiving overseas funds in 2007, during Chidambaram's tenure as finance minister.
Enforcement directorate is a law enforcement agency and economic intelligence agency responsible for enforcing economic laws and fighting economic crime in India.
"Truth finally prevails," Congress party wrote on its Twitter account after Chidambaram was granted bail.
Senior Congress leaders including Sonia Gandhi had visited Chidambaram in jail in a show of support. Last month, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi also visited him in jail.
