When CJI left the court, without saying a word to Chidambaram’s legal team

New Delhi, Aug 21: All day long the legal team of P Chidambaram tried to get an early hearing in the Supreme Court. However after several attempts, the team comprising, Kapil Sibal, Vivek Tankha and Salman Khurshid failed to get the matter listed today.

It began at the court of Justice N V Ramanna at 10.30 am today. Let us see, how the events unfolded for Chidambaram's legal team, who are seeking protection from arrest in the INX Media case after the Delhi High Court rejected his plea for anticipatory bail.

• Justice Ramanna at 10.30 says that no interim relief would be given. I am sending the file to the Chief Justice of India right away, he said.
• Solicitor General Tuhsar Mehta says that this is a case of money laundering of monumental magnitude.
• You finish whatever formalities you have. I am sending the file to the CJI right away, Justice Ramanna tells Kapil Sibal.
• Sibal tells Justice Ramanna that Chidambaram should not be arrested or else the whole petition would become infructuous.
• Sibal and team go to the court of the CJI, which was hearing the Ayodhya case. The team does not make a mention, but states that it did not do so, thinking the CJI would pass an order and assign a Bench today itself.
• Post lunch, Sibal and team are back in the court of Justice Ramanna.
• In the meantime, the Registry points out that there is a defect in the petition.
• Before Justice Ramanna, Sibal says that the matter is not listed as yet. We want a hearing. This is painful, my client is not running away. Justice Ramanna calls the registrar, who says that the defect has been cured and it will be ready.
• In the meantime, the Central and Bureau of Investigation file caveats, seeking to be heard before any order is passed by the Supreme Court.
• The registrar informs that the caveats will be cleared and the the petition will be listed by the CJI's office.
• Sibal says that the CJI will rise only at 4 pm and that would mean that the matter will not be heard today.
• Justice Ramanna is annoyed and says that usually we send the listing only in the evenings. In this case, we did it immediately. Let the registry do its work and we cannot hear the case until it is listed, Justice Ramanna tells Sibal.
• Sibal tells Justice Ramanna that a case was heard by the SC, without it being listed. Justice Ramanna says that in that case, the person was going away. Sorry, Mr Sibal.
• Sibal and team are back in the court of the CJI. They do not make any mention. The CJI and the rest of the Bench rose at 4 pm. However the CJI left the court hall, without enquiring with Sibal and team. Not a word from the CJI.