In Brief
P. Chidambaram, a former Finance Minister and Member of Parliament, sought bail in a CBI case involving allegations of corruption in the Foreign Investment Promotion Board's approval of foreign direct investment to INX Media. The High Court denied bail solely on the ground that he might influence witnesses, while accepting his position on flight risk and evidence tampering. The Supreme Court allowed his appeal, holding that bail cannot be denied on unsupported, generalized allegations of witness influence without contemporaneous material evidence. The Court emphasized that flight risk must be assessed individually, not by treating economic offenders as a class; that detailed examination of prosecution merits at the bail stage prejudices the accused's trial rights; and that conditions like passport surrender and look-out notices adequately secure presence at trial."
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