Chinese Visa scam: ED files PMLA case against Congress MP Karti Chidambaram, Bhaskararaman and others

New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday (May 25) registered a PMLA case against Congress MP Karti Chidambaram, Bhaskararaman and others in the Chinese visa racket case. The economic probe agency has taken cognisance of the FIR filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

The ED will summon Karti and others shortly. The Congress MP is likely to join the investigation at the CBI headquarters in New Delhi on Wednesday. Earlier on May 17, the CBI had arrested Karti`s close associate S Bhaskar Raman in the case. 

Sources told ANI, "as per the court`s orders of Karti`s bail, he has to appear before CBI within 16 hours of reaching India", adding "We haven`t summoned him since the court has already directed him to join the investigation within 16 hours of his arrival in India. If he fails to appear, then we might issue summon order to him for joining the investigation." 

Earlier on Tuesday, Karti P Chidambaram claimed that he is not involved in the Visa case, anyhow, adding "I am heading back home today, as per the plan made when I left two weeks ago for UK and Europe. It does not intimidate me that the central government is once again using its agencies to accuse me of a malicious and completely fabricated charge." 

Adhering to continue his fight against the "motivated attempts to target his father (P Chidambaram) through him", Karti said, "Previously, the agencies have gone after me on the basis of the statement of an undertrial murder suspect. Now, they are basing their bogus charges on the alleged actions of a deceased person, whom I never met."

Denying all the allegations of being connected with the scam, Karti further said, "For what it`s worth, however, I firmly state that I am not associated with this visa issue directly, indirectly, vicariously or even telepathically! The allegations against me by the CBI are ludicrous, to say the least. I categorically deny all of them."

"I say with certainty that I have never facilitated even a single Chinese national in their visa process, let alone 250. I have no knowledge of the procedures, processes and the formalities that need to be fulfilled in order to obtain visas related to project work in India..." ANI quoted the Congress MP as saying.

Expressing faith in the judiciary, he further said, "In the last 7 years, I have been raided 6 times, without any cause or evidence by the central government`s agencies, which has sadly become a single party`s machinery to fulfill its political vendetta. Professionals associated with me are being targeted and harassed... My travel has been restricted and I have been made to do rounds of the courts even for a visit to my daughter at her university." 

(With ANI Inputs)