New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered a case against five accused including people from Chennai, Mumbai, private companies based in Mumbai, Mansa (Punjab), and unidentified public servants. The accused also include Karti P Chidambaram.
The case has been registered on allegations including bribery to facilitate the issuance of a visa to a Chinese company beyond the ceiling.
The four accused related to the case are identified as S Bhaskararaman (a close associate) based in Chennai, Vikas Makharia, from Mansa, Punjab, M/s Talwandi Sabo Power Limited, and M/s Bell Tools Limited in Mumbai.
CBI in a press release said that “It has been alleged that the private company based at Mansa was in the process of establishing a 1980 MW thermal power plant at Mansa (Punjab) and the establishment of the plant was outsourced to a Chinese Company. It has been further alleged that the project was running behind its schedule. In order to avoid penal actions for the delay, the said private company of Mansa was trying to bring more and more Chinese persons/professionals for their site at District Mansa (Punjab) and needed Project VISAs over and above the ceiling imposed by the Ministry of Home Affairs,”.
The CBI also pointed out that the payment of the said bribe was routed from a Mansa-based private company to said private person of Chennai and his close associate through a Mumbai based company as payment of false invoice raised for consultancy and out of pocket expenses for Chinese Visa related work whereas the Mumbai based company was never in any kind of work-related to Visa.
As per the initial reports, Chidambaram’s several residences and offices are being searched in New Delhi Mumbai, Chennai and Odisha.
Reportedly, the CBI has registered a fresh case against Karti Chidambaram for allegedly receiving illegal gratification. According to reports, Chidambaram had received ₹ 50 lakh alleged bribe to facilitate the visa of 250 Chinese nationals for a power project in Punjab in lieu of illegal gratification between 2010-14.
Taking to Twitter, Karti Chidambaram said, “I have lost count, how many times has it been? Must be a record.”
Karti Chidambaram is being probed in several cases, including the one relating to the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance to INX Media for receiving foreign funds to the tune of ₹ 305 crores.