Justice Sunil Gaur, who rejected Chidambaram\'s bail, to head PMLA tribunal

New Delhi: Justice Sunil Gaur, on Wednesday, appointed the chairman of the Appellate Tribunal for Prevention of Money Laundering Act, the development which has followed the rejection of P Chidambaram's anticipatory bail plea by him, News18 reported.

He will take over the new office on September 23, a day after the incumbent chairman Justice Manmohan Singh retires.

In his last order, Justice Gaur had dismissed Chidambaram’s plea to grant him interim protection from arrest by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the INX Media case.

He had stated in his order that Chidambaram in the 'kingpin' in the money laundering case.

The lawyers for Chidambaram had alleged that Gaur reproduced a note — forwarded by the CBI in a sealed cover after the arguments closed — verbatim.

He had also delivered a verdict in 2018 directing Associated Journals Ltd, the publisher of National Herald, to vacate its offices at ITO in the national capital.

The decision was later upheld by a division bench of the HC but was put on hold by the Supreme Court in April this year. The matter is still pending in the apex court.

Narendra Modi-led NDA government had ruled out a cooling-off period for retired judges before their appointment to tribunals or commissions.

Apart from the chairperson, the other two members of the appellate tribunal are G C Mishra and Ananya Ray ThePrint reported.

Mishra is a former officer at the Department of Legal Affairs, Ministry of Law and Justice.

Ray is an Indian Revenue Service officer who was formerly special secretary to the Government of India and Member-Customs of Central Board of Excise and Customs.