New Delhi [India]: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has filed a money laundering case in the Chinese visa scam case involving Congress MP Karti Chidambaram, officials said on Wednesday (May 25).
The ED’s action came amid inputs that the Congress MP is likely to join the investigation at Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) headquarters in Delhi soon.
“The ED has filed a case under the criminal sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, taking cognizance of a recent First Information Report registered by the CBI in the case,” officials added.
It is alleged that Karti Chidambaram received Rs 50 lakh to illegally facilitate visas for 263 Chinese nationals to complete a power project in Punjab.
The CBI said that the MP “misused his influence” in the home ministry in 2011 and “conspired” with the co-accused to devise a “back-door way to defeat the purpose of the ceiling” on work permits imposed by the ministry.
Karti’s father and senior Congress leader P Chidambaram was home minister in 2011. P Chidambaram has not been named as an accused in the FIR.
Besides the MP, the CBI has booked four other people, including Karti Chidambaram’s chartered accountant S. Bhaskararaman, and Vikas Makharia, representative of Talwandi Sabo Power Ltd, a Mansa-based private company, and Bell Tools, Mumbai, along with ‘unknown public servants and private individuals.
Earlier on May 17, the CBI had arrested Karti Chidambaram’s close associate S Bhaskar Raman in the case.
Sources informed, “as per the court’s orders of Karti’s bail, he has to appear before CBI within 16 hours of reaching India”.
“We haven’t summoned him since the court has already directed him to join the investigation within 16 hours of his arrival in India. If he fails to appear, then we might issue summon order to him for joining the investigation,” said a CBI officer. (ANI)
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