Congress MP Karti Chidambaram.
A Delhi court has deferred its decision on whether to proceed with the charge sheet filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) against Congress MP Karti Chidambaram and others in connection with a money laundering case linked to the alleged Chinese visa scam. The judge, after hearing arguments from the counsel representing the Enforcement Directorate, has scheduled the matter for further consideration on March 16, 2024.
Special Judge M K Nagpal, presiding over the case, stated, “Further arguments on the point of summoning have been heard. At the request, list the matter now on March 16, 2024, at 2 pm for consideration/clarifications, if any, on the point of summoning/ cognisance.”
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The charge sheet named Karti Chidambaram, his former Chartered Accountant S Bhaskararaman, and six others, including various companies. Among the accused are Padam Dugar, Vikas Makharia, Mansoor Siddiqi, Dugar Housing Ltd, Advantage Strategic Consulting Pvt Ltd, and Talwandi Sabo Power Ltd.
The ED initiated the money laundering case against the accused in connection with the alleged scam involving the issuance of visas to 263 Chinese nationals in 2011, during the tenure of Karti Chidambaram’s father, P Chidambaram, as the Union Home Minister.
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The ED clarified that the precise magnitude or volume of the laundered funds in the case is yet to be determined during the investigation. Furthermore, the agency stated that the bribe amount of Rs 50 lakh mentioned in the CBI case cannot be directly associated with the present money laundering case.
This case falls under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), with the ED initiating proceedings based on a first information report lodged by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) concerning the same matter.
