Chinese visa scam: Karti Chidambaram appears before probe agency in money laundering case

This specific case investigated by the ED revolves around allegations of a purported Rs 50 lakh kickback involving Karti and his close associate S Bhaskararaman, allegedly received from a high-ranking executive of the Vedanta group's Talwandi Sabo Power Ltd. (TSPL).

Congress MP Karti Chidambaram on Saturday (December 23) appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in Delhi, addressing inquiries linked to a money laundering case associated with the issuance of visas to Chinese nationals in 2011.

This specific case investigated by the ED revolves around allegations of a purported Rs 50 lakh kickback involving Karti and his close associate S Bhaskararaman, allegedly received from a high-ranking executive of the Vedanta group's Talwandi Sabo Power Ltd. (TSPL). The company was engaged in establishing a power plant in Punjab, according to the Central Bureau of Investigation's (CBI) First Information Report (FIR).

The origins of the Enforcement Directorate's probe trace back to the initial complaint filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation.

Under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the agency is set to record statements from the 52-year-old Member of Parliament representing the Sivaganga Lok Sabha constituency in Tamil Nadu.

Previously, Karti Chidambaram contested the nature of the ED's investigation, denoting it as a "fishing and roving" inquiry. He had previously submitted documents to the agency and requested additional time to gather more, leading to his absence on December 12 and December 16.