Daily Bulletin: SC to hear P Chidambaram's plea against ED today; Narendra Modi to begin three day visit to UAE, Bahrain from 23 August

INX Media case: SC to hear P Chidambaram’s plea on today even as ex-FM remains in CBI custody The Supreme Court will on Friday hear petitions of former Union Minister P Chidambaram filed against the Delhi High Court’s order rejecting his bail plea in connection with INX media case probed by CBI and ED. A bench comprising Justice R Banumathi and Justice AS Bopanna will hear the plea. [caption id=“attachment_7210051” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Chidambaram being taken into CBI custody on Thursday. PTI[/caption] However, a special CBI court on Thursday sent Chidambaram to the CBI custody till 26 August in the INX media case. The court said that family members and lawyers are permitted to meet Chidambaram for 30 minutes a day. The former Union minister was arrested by the CBI from his residence in New Delhi late on Wednesday. Solicitor-General Tushar Mehta, who argued for the CBI, argued that custodial interrogation of the Congress leader was required as Chidambaram was “evasive” and “non-cooperative” in the investigation. Mehta said that the case, which is a classic example of money laundering, is in the pre-charge sheet stage. The Congress leader, one of the key ministers during 10 years of UPA regime, was taken to the CBI headquarters on Wednesday night after CBI officials scaled the boundary walls of his residence in Jor Bagh after he made a dramatic appearance at the Congress headquarters in New Delhi. He was produced in the CBI special court on Thursday. On Wednesday, the former minister failed to get relief from the Supreme Court over CBI and ED’s pursuit of him as the matter was not heard by the court despite repeated efforts by his lawyers. Narendra Modi to receive UAE’s highest civil honour ‘Order of Zayed’ during his three-day visit from Friday  Prime Minister Narendra Modi will pay a three-day visit to United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain beginning 23 August and hold extensive talks with top leaders of the two countries on bilateral, regional and global issues of mutual interest. The prime minister will first travel to the UAE where he would receive the ‘Order of Zayed’, the highest civil decoration of the country, the External Affairs Ministry said on Sunday. From UAE, Modi will leave for Bahrain on 24 August on a two-day visit, which will be the first-ever prime ministerial visit from India to the Gulf nation, the ministry said. In April, the UAE announced conferring the prestigious award on Modi for playing a “pivotal role” in giving a “big boost” to the bilateral strategic ties. The award in the name of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the founding father of the UAE, acquires special significance as it was awarded to Modi in the year of the birth centenary of the leader of the Gulf nation. “During his visit, the prime minister would be meeting the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to discuss bilateral, regional and international matters of mutual interest,” the MEA said. Delhi High Court to hear plea against detention of IAS officer Shah Faesal  at IGI Airport A plea was moved in the Delhi High Court alleging that former IAS officer Shah Faesal was illegally detained at the IGI Airport in Delhi on 14 August and taken back to Srinagar where he has been kept under house arrest. The matter came up for hearing before a bench of Justices Manmohan and Sangita Dhingra Sehgal which did not issue notice in the matter after the Central government, represented by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, said it will file a response to the habeas corpus plea, moved on behalf of Faesal through a ‘pariorkar’ or next of friend, Mohd Hussain Cader. A habeas corpus plea requires a person under arrest to be brought before a judge or a court. According to the affidavit filed by Cader along with the petition, Faesal’s wife apprised him of the issue after which he moved the plea. The court listed the matter for further hearing on 23 August (today). According to the petition, Faesal was on his way to Harvard University in the US for higher studies when he was “illegally” detained at the Delhi airport under the Public Safety Act (PSA). The plea alleges that the manner in which he was “whisked away” to Kashmir without even a transit remand amounts to “abduction”. The petition has contended that he was scheduled to travel to Boston, USA, via Istanbul and Frankfurt when he was detained at Delhi airport. It said he was travelling to the US to complete his course in Master in Public Administration when he was “illegally picked up” from Indira Gandhi International Airport here. Pant, Jadeja to resume India’s innings at 203/6 on second day of first Test Ajinkya Rahane’s 18th half-century anchored India’s revival to 203 for six on the opening day of the first Test against the West Indies at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua after the West Indies pace bowlers ran through Indian top-order. Hopes pinned on Rishabh Pant (20) and Ravindra Jadeja (3) to take India to respectable score on the second day of the first Test Saaho actor Prabhas says pressure post-Baahubali is scary Headlining Baahubali had its effects on Prabhas, who now feels the pressure to deliver again riding on him. He says the SS Rajamouli-directed franchise will never be forgotten, but he has to move on and is ready with his latest action-thriller Saaho, reports PTI. “There is now a lot of audiences, you don’t even know which part loved you more. My friend told me how kids in Gujurat are singing Baahubali songs. So the pressure is also more. It is scary. I have had so many sleepless nights for Saaho. I couldn’t sleep for many days because of the stress. Suddenly it gets on to you,” he says.