Chinese visa scam: ED files money laundering case against Karti Chidambaram

The Enforcement Directorate ED has filed a money laundering case in the alleged Chinese visa scam case involving Congress MP Karti Chidambaram officials said on WednesdayThe EDs action came amid inputs that the Congress MP is likely to join the investigation at Central Bureau of Investigation CBI headquarters in Delhi soonThe ED has filed a case under the criminal sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act taking cognizance of a recent First Information Report registered by the CBI in the case officials addedIt is alleged that Karti Chidambaram received Rs 50 lakh to illegally facilitate visas for 263 Chinese nationals to complete a power project in PunjabThe CBI alleged that the MP misused his influence in the home ministry in 2011 and conspired with the coaccused to devise a backdoor way to defeat the purpose of the ceiling on work permits imposed by the ministryKartis father and senior Congress leader P Chidambaram was home minister in 2011 P Chidambaram has not been named as an accused in the FIRBesides the MP the CBI has booked four other people including Karti Chidambarams chartered accountant S Bhaskararaman Vikas Makharia representative of Talwandi Sabo Power Ltd a Mansabased private company and Bell Tools Mumbai along with unknown public servants and private individualsEarlier on May 17 the CBI had arrested Karti Chidambarams close associate S Bhaskar Raman in the caseSources informed as per the courts orders of Kartis bail he has to appear before CBI within 16 hours of reaching IndiaWe havent summoned him since the court has already directed him to join the investigation within 16 hours of his arrival in India If he fails to appear then we might issue summon order to him for joining the investigation said a CBI officerMeanwhile on Tuesday Karti Chidambaram claimed that he is not involved in the Visa caseI am heading back home today as per the plan made when I left two weeks ago for UK and Europe It does not intimidate me that the central government is once again using its agencies to accuse me of a malicious and completely fabricated charge read Chidambarams statementVowing to continue his fight against the motivated attempts to target his father P Chidambaram through him Karti said Previously the agencies have gone after me on the basis of the statement of an undertrial murder suspect Now they are basing their bogus charges on the alleged actions of a deceased person whom I never metDenying all the allegations of being connected with the scam he further said For what its worth however I firmly state that I am not associated with this visa issue directly indirectly vicariously or even telepathically The allegations against me by the CBI are ludicrous to say the least I categorically deny all of themI say with certainty that I have never facilitated even a single Chinese national in their visa process let alone 250 I have no knowledge of the procedures processes and the formalities that need to be fulfilled in order to obtain visas related to project work in India the Congress MP said furtherExpressing faith in the judiciary and stating it harassment he said In the last 7 years I have been raided 6 times without any cause or evidence by the central governments agencies which has sadly become a single partys machinery to fulfil its political vendetta Professionals associated with me are being targeted and harassed My travel has been restricted and I have been made to do rounds of the courts even for a visit to my daughter at her universityThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever