THE JHARKHAND STORY DESK
New Delhi, Dec 23: A Delhi court on Tuesday directed that charges be framed against Congress MP Karti P Chidambaram and six others in the Chinese visa scam case, marking a significant step in the long-running CBI probe.
Special CBI Judge Dig Vinay Singh ordered that seven accused face trial for alleged criminal conspiracy, while discharging one accused, Chetan Shrivastava. The detailed order is yet to be released.
Also Read- Fog grips Jharkhand as temperatures stay near normal
The case relates to alleged bribery in the facilitation of project visas for Chinese nationals in 2011, when P. Chidambaram was the Union Home Minister.
In October 2024, the CBI filed a chargesheet naming Karti Chidambaram, his alleged close associate S Bhaskararaman, Talwandi Sabo Power Ltd (TSPL), a Vedanta subsidiary, and Mumbai-based Bell Tools, which the agency claims was used to route illegal payments.
Charges invoked include criminal conspiracy, cheating and forgery under the Indian Penal Code, along with provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act. Other accused named in the chargesheet include Viral Mehta, Anup Agarwal, Mansoor Siddiqui and Chetan Shrivastava.
According to the CBI, TSPL was setting up a 1,980 MW thermal power project in Punjab and had outsourced work to Chinese firm Shandong Electric Power Construction Corporation.
As the project fell behind schedule and penalties loomed, a TSPL executive allegedly approached Karti Chidambaram through Bhaskararaman to secure a workaround on visa restrictions for Chinese workers.
The agency has alleged that a “backdoor method” was devised to allow the reuse of 263 project visas, despite no provision for reissuing such visas under the rules introduced in 2010. A request submitted to the home ministry on July 30, 2011, seeking permission to reuse the visas, was approved within a month, the FIR stated.
Also Read- CBI arrests Odisha SI exam paper leak mastermind from Bihar
The CBI further claimed that Bhaskararaman, after discussions with the then home minister, demanded a bribe of ₹50 lakh to ensure the clearance. The payment was allegedly routed through Bell Tools using invoices raised for consultancy and out-of-pocket expenses related to visa work.
TSPL is accused of making payments by cheque to Bell Tools, after which the amount was allegedly passed on in cash to Bhaskararaman.
The FIR also refers to email exchanges in which the TSPL executive purportedly thanked Karti Chidambaram and Bhaskararaman after the approvals were granted.
The chargesheet was filed after nearly two years of investigation following the registration of the FIR in 2022.
