Chinese Visa Scam Case: ED Files Fresh Chargesheet Against Congress MP Karti Chidambaram — Report

Karti Chidambaram, along with his close associate S Bhaskararaman and others, has been named in the chargesheet.

The court has scheduled the matter for a hearing on March 16.

Source : PTI

New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has filed a fresh chargesheet against Congress MP Karti Chidambaram and others in a money laundering case related to the alleged issuance of visas to Chinese nationals in 2011, official sources told PTI.

The prosecution complaint was submitted on January 25 before a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in New Delhi. Karti Chidambaram, along with his close associate S Bhaskararaman and others, has been named in the chargesheet.

The court has scheduled the matter for a hearing on March 16, according to PTI.

Karti Chidambaram, who represents the Sivaganga constituency in Tamil Nadu, has been questioned several times by the agency in connection with the case.

In response, Karti Chidambaram has criticized the ED probe as a "fishing and roving" enquiry and has claimed to have provided all necessary documents to the agency. He has vehemently denied the allegations, labeling the case as "bogus," asserting he was "certain that he never facilitated even a single Chinese national in their visa process, let alone 250."

He alleged that it was a ploy to target his father, P Chidambaram, reported PTI.

The money laundering case of the ED stems from a CBI FIR. It involves allegations of kickbacks amounting to Rs 50 lakh paid to Karti Chidambaram and S Bhaskararaman by a senior executive of Vedanta group company Talwandi Sabo Power Ltd (TSPL), which was establishing a power plant in Punjab, as per the CBI FIR.

The investigation revolves around claims that Rs 50 lakh exchanged hands to secure re-issuance of project visas for 263 Chinese workers involved in the power project, which was experiencing delays due to the involvement of a Chinese company, according to the CBI.

Previously, the CBI conducted raids on premises linked to the Chidambaram family and arrested Bhaskararaman. Karti Chidambaram has also been questioned by the CBI in connection with this case, as per the PTI report.

This marks the third money laundering investigation against Karti Chidambaram, with the INX Media and Aircel-Maxis cases being under investigation by the ED for some time.

Karti Chidambaram has previously been charge-sheeted by the agency in relation to these cases, the PTI report added.