In a major legal development, a Delhi court has ordered the framing of charges against Congress MP Karti P. Chidambaram and six others in the high-profile Chinese visa scam case on Tuesday.
The order by Special Judge Dig Vinay Singh takes the notorious corruption case to the trial stage. The court ordered the framing of charges against seven persons and entities, while one accused, Chetan Shrivastava, was discharged from the case.
The Case: Accusations of Bribery and ‘Back-Door’ Visas
The case by CBI revolves around allegations from 2011, a time his father, P. Chidambaram, was holding the portfolio of Union Home Minister.
According to the central agency, Karti Chidambaram, while serving as a Member of Parliament, allegedly received a bribe of Rs 50 lakh to facilitate project visas for 263 Chinese nationals. These workers were needed by Talwandi Sabo Power Ltd (TSPL), the Vedanta Group subsidiary, for completing the work on the 1980 MW thermal power plant in Punjab, which was falling behind schedule.
Some of the important allegations contained in the CBI’s charge sheet are as follows:
Illegal Re-use of Visas: TSPL allegedly created a “back-door way” to overcome the restriction on project visas by applying for permission to re-use 263 existing visas—a practice not allowed under the guidelines of the Home Ministry.
“The Money Trail“: According to the CBI, the bribe payment was channeled by an accomplice company in Mumbai, Bell Tools Ltd, under the guise of “consultancy fees” and “out-of-pocket expenses.”
Criminal Conspiracy: The charges under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for the offenses of criminal conspiracy, cheating, and forgery have been ordered by the court along with sections under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The Accused: Who Else Is Facing Trial?
The court’s directive to frame charges has been issued against various prominent individuals as well as corporate groups named in the CBI charge sheet of 2024:
Karti P. Chidambaram: Present Lok Sabha member, Sivaganga
S. Bhaskararaman: Self-proclaimed close associate and front-man of Kart
Talwandi Sabo Power Ltd (TSPL): This is a Punjab-based power unit
Bell Tools Ltd: This was said to be located in Mumbai and was allegedly used to channel the bribes.
