New Delhi: Congress MP Karti Chidambaram has opted not to appear before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) at its headquarters on Tuesday, citing his busy schedule during the ongoing winter session of Parliament. The ED had summoned Karti in connection with an investigation into alleged money laundering related to the issuance of visas to 263 Chinese nationals involved in a power plant project in Punjab.
The probe revolves around accusations that Karti lobbied his father, former Union Home Minister P Chidambaram, to facilitate visas for Chinese nationals connected to the power project. The investigation is being conducted under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
The case, dating back to 2022, alleges that a sum of Rs 50 lakh was paid as kickbacks to Karti and his close associate S Bhaskararaman by a top executive of the Vedanta group company Talwandi Sabo Power Ltd. (TSPL), engaged in setting up a power plant in Punjab.
The revelations were made through a First Information Report (FIR) by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), based on which a money laundering case was filed. According to CBI charges, a Chinese company executing the power project faced delays, prompting a TSPL executive to allegedly exchange Rs 50 lakh for the re-issuance of project visas for 263 Chinese workers.
This marks the third money laundering case against Karti, with the ED already investigating the INX Media and Aircel-Maxis cases for several years.
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