Congress MP Karti Chidambaram has been granted regular bail by the Rouse Avenue Court in the money laundering case connected to the Chinese visa matter. The court imposed certain conditions, including surrendering his passport and seeking permission before leaving the country.
Additionally, Karti is prohibited from tampering with evidence or influencing witnesses.
Despite opposition from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) regarding the bail petition, the court ruled in Karti Chidambaram’s favour. Chidambaram recently emerged victorious from the Sivaganga seat in Tamil Nadu in the Lok Sabha elections. He had been exempted from appearing in court previously.
The ED, in its recent charge sheet, implicated Congress MP, S Bhaskararaman, and several others, along with multiple companies. Karti Chidambaram had earlier filed an anticipatory bail petition in the Delhi High Court, which is still pending.
Additional Solicitor General SV Raju assured the Delhi High Court that no punitive action would be taken against Congress MP during the pendency of the case. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing Karti Chidambaram, argued that there was no evidence against the accused.
The case dates back to 2011. The ED had started probing a case involving the issuance of visas to 263 Chinese citizens. Karti Chidambaram and three others were accused by the ED in connection with this case. At the time, Karti Chidambaram’s father, P Chidambaram, served as the Union Home Minister.
Initially, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) registered a case of corruption in the Chinese visa matter, following which the ED filed a case of money laundering. The CBI alleges that approximately Rs 50 lakh in bribes was exchanged in the case.