A Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court on Friday, 3 June, rejected Congress MP Karti Chidambaram's request for anticipatory bail in a money laundering case linked to an alleged visa scam. The court also dismissed his plea for interim protection from arrest till he moved high court to seek bail.
The court had reserved its order last week after hearing all the arguments.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) filed a money laundering case against the Lok Sabha MP, his close aide S Bhaskararaman, and others in connection with alleged foreign remittances between 2010 and 2014 – when his father P Chidambaram was the Union finance minister. Along with others, Karti Chidambaram has been accused of helping Chinese nationals receive visas by flouting the rules.
The ED had filed a case under India's anti-money laundering law based on a recent First Information Report filed by the CBI in the same case.
Karti Chidambaram's lawyers had argued that there was no material against him. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal said that the alleged transaction was from 2011, upon which a case has been registered after so many years.
What Were the Arguments Made?
Sibal said that the agencies did not investigate the case for years despite having emails about it. He argued that Karti Chidambaram should be granted bail, given that the value of the alleged transaction was Rs 50 lakh.
Meanwhile, Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, who appeared for the ED, said that the bail application was premature as there was no material.
"We will investigate the case. Still, they have apprehension of arrest, why do they have so," he asked.
The CBI had alleged that kickbacks worth Rs 50 lakh had been received by Karti Chidambaram for illegally facilitating visas to Chinese nationals in order to complete an energy project in Punjab.
The CBI had also alleged that in 2011, he "misused his influence" in the Home Ministry and "conspired" to devise a "back-door way to defeat the purpose of the ceiling" on work permits that the ministry had imposed.
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