Chinese visa scam case: Delhi court frames charges against Congress MP Karti Chidambaram, others

New Delhi: In a jolt to Congress Member of Parliament Karti Chidambaram, a Delhi court on Tuesday framed charges against him in the Chinese visa scam case.

The Rouse Avenue Court framed charges against Chidambaram for criminal conspiracy and bribing a public servant, paving the way for a trial in the case probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

The court also framed charges against his former chartered accountant, S. Bhaskararaman, along with other accused.

One accused, Chetan Shrivastava, was discharged from the case.

The court fixed January 16, 2026, as the next date of hearing in the matter.

According to the CBI, the case relates to alleged irregularities in 2011 involving the misuse of visas for Chinese nationals, in violation of Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) norms.

The probe agency alleged that visas of around 250 Chinese workers were facilitated for reuse beyond the prescribed limit during the construction of a power plant in Punjab.

The allegations centre on Talwandi Sabo Power Limited (TSPL), a company linked to the Vedanta group, which was setting up a power project in Punjab’s Mansa.

The CBI has alleged that TSPL paid an illegal gratification of Rs 50 lakh to Bell Tools Limited, which was routed to Bhaskararaman, for facilitating visa approvals and renewals for Chinese nationals in excess of the permissible rules.

The agency has claimed that the alleged gratification was paid to secure approvals from the Ministry of Home Affairs at a time when Karti Chidambaram’s father, P. Chidambaram, was serving as the Union Home Minister.

The development in the CBI case comes against the backdrop of parallel proceedings initiated by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

Earlier, a Delhi court had granted bail to Karti Chidambaram in a money laundering case linked to the alleged Chinese visa scam, after taking cognisance of a prosecution complaint filed by the ED under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The ED has alleged that the Rs 50 lakh received as illegal gratification was subsequently invested in Advantage Strategic Consulting Private Ltd, a company allegedly controlled by Chidambaram.

Over time, the value of this investment increased to Rs 1.59 crore, constituting proceeds of crime under the provisions of the PMLA, the federal anti-money laundering agency claimed.

IANS