Chinese Visa allotment: Karti Chidambaram gets interim relief from arrest in money laundering case

A Delhi court on Thursday granted interim protection from arrest to Congress Member of Parliament (MP) Karti Chidambaram in a case registered by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) over allegations of money laundering in allotting Chinese visas [Karti Chidambaram v. Enforcement Directorate]..Special Judge MK Nagpal granted the interim relief from arrest to the politician and issued notice to the law enforcement agency.The case will be heard again on May 30. .The anticipatory bail plea by Chidambaram stated that he learnt from media reports that an enforcement case information report (ECIR) had been registered against him by the ED based on the case registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).The CBI case was registered after a search and seizure inquiry was conducted at the residence of Karti's father, former Union Minister P Chidambaram on May 14. It was alleged that Karti was facilitating visas of 250 Chinese nationals after receiving illegal gratification of ₹50 lakh..The plea in ED’s case, therefore, contended,“Applicant apprehends that the respondent ED will arrest him and curtail his liberty. The basis for the aforesaid apprehension is the manner and haste with which the ECIR appears to have been registered against the applicant, without there even being an allegation in the alleged scheduled offence that the applicant has received any illegal gratification/ proceeds of crime, which the applicant could have allegedly laundered.”.On May 20, the Court had directed Karti to join and cooperate with the CBI investigation within 16 hours of his return to India..The allegations in the CBI’s FIR were that Talwandi Sabo Power Limited (TSPL) had paid an amount of ₹50 lakh to Bell Tools Limited (BTL) which in turn relayed it to S Bhaskararaman as gratification for the Chinese visas..Karti, however, stated that nothing incriminating was found and no incriminating material was seized during the said search proceedings.“The gist of the allegations in the subject FIR is that TSPL paid a sum of Rs 50 lakh by cheque to BTL, Mumbai and, in turn, the said BTL paid Rs 50 lakh by cash to S Bhaskararaman as gratification. There is no allegation that Bhaskararaman paid the whole or any part of Rs 50 lakh to the applicant. There is no specific allegation that either Bhaskararaman or the applicant influenced any public servant or paid any gratification to any public servant. In fact, no overt act concerning the transaction in question has been attributed to or alleged against the applicant,” argued the plea..Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal along with Advocates Arshdeep Singh Khurana and Akshat Gupta represented Karti Chidambaram.