Chinese visa scam case: Delhi court frames charges against Karti Chidambaram, six others

ANew delhi margaret court on tues framed charges against u.s. Congress MP Karti Chidambaram and sise others in connection with the alleged Chinese Visa scam case, stating that a prima facie case was made out against him for offences of criminal conspiracy and bribery of a public servant.Special judge Dig Vinay Singh of Rouse Avenue Court ordered the framing of charges against the seven accused persons and discharged one. Chetan Shrivastava, in the case.The court listed the matter for January 16 for the prosecution’s evidence.The judge said that the conspiracy hatched between the accused number 1, S Bhaskaraman, and accused number 2, Karti, was evident. The court said that there was strong suspicion against Karti as the same was backed by an approver’s statement and the case against him was not solely based on email confirmation.“Even if there is no direct documentary or e-mail link to A-2 (Karti), the approver’s statement makes it clear that A-2 guided the approver to A-1 (Bhaskaraman) to disclose his requirement and details, and thereafter A-1 demanded and received the bribe,” the order read.The court added, “…the statements of approver…the documented payment from TSPL to BTL and, the e-mails clearly indicate participation of A-1 to A-7 in the criminal conspiracy…pursuant to that conspiracy, the bribe amount was transferred from TSPL to BTL and then paid in cash to A-1”.The court stated that prima facie, sufficient material exists to frame charges against Karti for the offences of criminal conspiracy and sections 8 and 9 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. Karti is represented by senior advocate Sidharth Kuthra.In October 2024, the CBI had filed a charge sheet against Karti Chidambaram and others in connection with their involvement in alleged bribery in facilitating visas of Chinese nationals for a power company in 2011, when his father, P Chidambaram, was the Union home Minister.The CBI has alleged that Karti had allegedly received a ₹50 lakh bribe through Bhaskararaman to facilitate the visa of 263 Chinese nationals during the UPA regime for TSPL, a Vedanta Group company, in July-August 2011.The CBI alleged that the power project in Punjab for which the establishment contract was given to a Chinese firm was running behind schedule and it needed manpower but there was a ceiling for allowing work permits of foreign nationals, it added.The agency alleged that the firm approached Karti, who used his influence to facilitate the visas in violation of the ceiling imposed.In its chargesheet, the CBI had named Karti, a Lok Sabha MP from Sivaganga, his alleged close associate S Bhaskararaman, Talawandi Sabo Power Ltd (TSPL), a subsidiary of Vedanta, and Mumbai-based Bell Tools (BTL), through which bribes were allegedly routed.