CBI raids on Karti linked to case over facilitation of visas for Chinese citizens

The CBI has registered a fresh case against Karti Chidambaram, son of senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram. Searches are under way at at least nine locations in Delhi, Chennai, Sivagangai and Mumbai.

The fresh case names only Karti and other individuals and does not name P. Chidambaram.

The case relates to facilitating visas for Chinese nationals for which the accused are learnt to have got illegal gratification amounting to Rs 50 lakh, sources said. There may be links to a certain project and business activities in Punjab between 2010 and 2014, but more details are yet to be ascertained by the sleuths.

CBI sources said the larger conspiracy will be unearthed in due course of time and it cannot be immediately said whether the accused had used other contacts to facilitate the visas.

The raids began on Tuesday morning at the residential and official premises of the Chidambarams, causing a flutter in political circles. The Lok Sabha MP and his father are already facing a probe in the INX Media case where both the CBI and ED have registered cases against them.

Recently, a special court took cognisance of the ED charge-sheet in the INX Media case. In August 2019, the CBI had arrested P. Chidambaram in the INX Media case and the ED took him into custody in connection with the money laundering case in October that year. He got bail after spending 100 days in incarceration. The CBI is yet to establish any connection between the two cases.

Meanwhile, the father-son duo have claimed innocence and alleged political vendetta. “I have lost count. how many times has it been. Must be a record,” said Karti in a tweet on Tuesday.