A Delhi court on Tuesday directed the framing of criminal charges against Congress Member of Parliament Karti P Chidambaram and six other individuals in a corruption case linked to the alleged illegal facilitation of visas for Chinese nationals back in 2011. The court found sufficient prima facie evidence to proceed against them.
Court's Ruling and Discharge of One Accused
Special CBI judge Dig Vinay Singh at the Rouse Avenue courts concluded that the materials presented by the prosecution warranted a trial against the Sivaganga MP and the other accused. The charges include criminal conspiracy, demand and receipt of illegal gratification, and destruction of evidence.
However, in a partial relief, the court discharged the eighth accused in the case, Chetan Shrivastava. The judge stated that there was "no material evidence" on record to implicate him, leading to his discharge from the proceedings.
The Alleged Bribery and Conspiracy
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had filed its chargesheet in October 2024. The agency alleges that bribes were paid to facilitate visas for Chinese nationals working for Talwandi Sabo Power Limited (TSPL), a subsidiary of Vedanta, which was setting up a thermal power plant in Punjab.
The court noted that the conspiracy between Karti Chidambaram and his close associate, S Bhaskararaman, was evident from the collected evidence. According to the prosecution, TSPL's then associate vice-president, Vikas Makharia, approached Karti through Bhaskararaman in Chennai. They sought 800 additional project visas, believing Karti had influence in the home ministry, which was then headed by his father, P Chidambaram.
The court accepted the statement of approver Vikas Makharia at face value for the purpose of framing charges. It was stated that Bhaskararaman demanded and received a bribe of Rs 50 lakh, which was routed through Mumbai-based Bell Tools Ltd. Subsequently, Makharia made a telephone call to thank Karti Chidambaram, who allegedly acknowledged the receipt of the money.
While explicit words like "payment" were avoided in the call, the court held that the acknowledgment was recorded. The judge rejected the defenses put forth by Karti Chidambaram, including his claim of not reading the crucial emails or the lack of substantiated proof for meetings and calls.
Background of the Case and Project Visa Issues
The CBI had originally registered an FIR in this case in 2022. The investigation revolved around TSPL's need for Chinese workers for its 1,980 MW plant. Facing delays and penalties, the company sought to re-use project visas, as there was a ceiling on the number of such visas allowed per project. The CBI's case states that there was no provision under the rules for the re-issue of project visas.
The court observed that the evidence pointed to 'coordinated acts' by the accused to circumvent these regulations for illegal gain. The case will now proceed to trial, where the evidence, including the approver's testimony, will be examined in detail.
