As the CBI continues to carry out raids across multiple cities in India in connection with the ‘Chinese visa scam’, in a recent update, it has been learnt from sources that Karti Chidambaram allegedly took bribes to facilitate visas for Chinese nationals. The involvement of Karti’s CA has also surfaced as he was approached by companies for work visas for Chinese nationals, sources said. In another major development to the raids, it has been learnt that the visas were re-issued when P Chidambaram was the Union Minister.
As per Republic Media Network’s sources, the Home Ministry cleared illegal visa use for Chinese nationals in return for Karti Chidambaram’s bribes in 2011.
Police have been deployed at Congress leader P Chidambaram’s residence in Chennai as CBI searches multiple locations connected to his son, Karti Chidambaram, in relation to an ongoing case.
‘Chinese visa scam’ scoop
Talwandi Sabo Power Limited was in the process of establishing a 1980 MW Thermal Power plant at Mansa in Punjab. The establishment was outsourced to a Chinese Company called Shandong Electric Power Construction Corp (SEPCO). As the project was running behind schedule, Talwandi Sabo Power Limited was trying to bring more and more Chinese professionals to the site to avoid penal action for the delay. To do this, project visas were required over and above the ceiling imposed by the Ministry of Home Affairs.
So, the company approached Karti Chidambaram through his close associate. And they chose a back doorway, destroying the purpose of the visa ceiling by granting permission to re-use 263 project visas allotted to the Chinese company’s officials.
The Home Ministry approved the permission for this devious visa grant to Chinese professionals in the same month of application.
Karti Chidambaram received crores of payment through a false invoice by a company that made industrial knives citing consultancy services & visa related work.
CBI raids properties owned by P Chidambaram and his son
In August 2019, Former Union home and finance minister P Chidambaram was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation from his residence in the INX Media corruption and money laundering case.
In October 2019, CBI raided over 14 residential premises in Chennai and Sivaganga in Tamil Nadu, and in Mumbai, Delhi, and Gurgaon owned by former P Chidambaram and his son Karti Chidambaram.
Agency reports said it had registered a case related to alleged irregularities in granting Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance in 2007 to INX Media and its then directors, Indrani Mukherjea and Peter Mukherjea. According to the CBI, the company had applied for foreign direct investment worth Rs 4.62 crore and had invested downstream into INX News Pvt Ltd, without FIPB approval.
