Will Karti Chidambaram find a way to stay out of India indefinitely?
A Delhi court on Friday directed the CBI to give a three-day prior notice to Congress MP Karti Chidambaram if it required arresting him in connection with the Chinese visa scam case linked to Vedanta Group’s power project in Punjab. Dismissing Karti’s anticipatory bail petition, Special Judge M K Nagpal also passed the order to Karti to appear before CBI within 16 hours after landing in India. Karti is currently in France and his Advocates informed Court that he is expected to be back in India by May 24.
The plea was opposed by the CBI, which said it was not maintainable at this stage. CBI also stated that the agency will give notice before 48 hours at least if he was required to be arrested. The court, however, directed that in case the CBI was required to arrest the accused, he needed to be given notice prior to three working days. Karti withdrew his anticipatory bail petition before the Court passed the order. Karti was represented by noted lawyer and Congress leader Kapil Sibal.
On Thursday, the Court sent the Chidambaram family’s Chartered Accountant S Bhaskararaman to CBI custody for four days. The CBI FIR said that Rs.50 lakh bribe was accepted from Vedanta Group’s power company for illegally issuing 263 visas to Chinese technicians in August 2011, when Chidambaram was the Home Minister.[1]
Anil Agrawal headed Vedanta Group’s Talwandi Sabo Power Limited’s 1980 Mega Watt power project in Punjab installed by a Chinese company namely Shandong Electric Power Construction Corporation in 2010. In its First Information Report, the agency had made Chidambaram’s son Karti, who is a Member of Parliament as accused and also conducted raids at Chidambaram’s home for accepting a bribe of Rs.50 lakh in August 2011 for issuing 263 Visas to Chinese technicians for Vedanta Group’s power project Talwandi Sabo Power Ltd in Punjab.
Seeking custodial interrogation, CBI’s counsels said that Bhaskararaman is in regular touch with Chidambaram and Karti, and emails from Vedanta Group’s staffers were marked to Karti also. “On August 17, 2011, Makharia, on being directed by Bhaskararaman, sent a copy of the above letter dated July 30, 2011, to him through e-mail which was forwarded to Karti…Bhakaskararaman after discussion with P Chidambaram, the then Home Minister, demanded an illegal gratification of Rs.50 lakh for ensuring the approval,” said the FIR. Special CBI Judge Prashant Kumar passed the order noting that the investigation was at its initial stage, and the accused was required to be quizzed.
PGurus published a detailed report titled ‘Chidambara Rahasya’ on the Chidambaram family’s assets in 14 countries and 21 foreign bank accounts.[2]
Reference:
[1] Chidambaram family’s CA to 4-day CBI custody. Vedanta Group also gave Rs.1.5 crore as loan to Karti firm, says CBI – May 19, 2022, PGurus.com
[2] Chidambara Rahasya – Details of huge secret assets & foreign bank accounts of Chidambaram Family – Mar 15, 2017, PGurus.com
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