Delhi Court Frames Charges Against Karti Chidambaram in Chinese Visa Bribery Case

A Delhi court has framed charges against Congress MP Karti P Chidambaram and others for criminal conspiracy and corruption in the Chinese visa scam. Allegedly, bribes were paid for visa facilitation for Talwandi Sabo Power Limited in 2011. The court found strong suspicion against the accused but discharged one due to lack of evidence.

A Delhi court on Tuesday pressed charges against Congress MP Karti P Chidambaram and six others amid allegations of criminal conspiracy and corruption linked to a Chinese visa scam. The court found sufficient evidence to suspect their involvement in facilitating visa approvals for Chinese nationals working with Talwandi Sabo Power Limited (TSPL) in 2011.

The prosecution's case hinges on allegations that Karti Chidambaram leveraged his father's position as the Union home minister to allegedly secure project visas for the power company. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) claims this was achieved through bribes channeled via several entities, including Bell Tools.

While the court has deemed the evidence enough to frame charges, it has also dismissed the case against one accused, Chetan Shrivastava, citing insufficient proof. The court emphasized that the judicial process has reached only the preliminary stage of charge framing, with further examination lined up as the trial proceeds.

(With inputs from agencies.)