New Delhi:

The Enforcement Directorate on Thursday claimed that Congress MP Karti Chidambaram took a bribe of Rs 50 lakh through a close aide to get sanctions from the Union Home Ministry for setting up a power plant in Punjab. Companies reuse visas of Chinese personnel.

It also claims the alleged bribe was funneled into a company controlled by Carty through a “fictitious” cash transaction.

The 52-year-old MP, who represents Tamil Nadu’s Sivaganga Lok Sabha seat, has recorded his statement in the case several times.

He told the Press Trust of India news agency that his lawyers would respond to the charges in court during the trial.

The federal agency made the allegations in a chargesheet against Karti Chidambaram, a company allegedly promoted by him – Advantage Strategy Consulting Private Limited, and his alleged close aide and accountant S Bhaskararaman, who deployed Chinese workers – Talwandi Sabo Power Limited – and others.

The Special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in Delhi heard the prosecution’s complaint on March 19. The court has summoned all the accused listed in the charge sheet, including Khati, to appear in court on April 15.

Other defendants include Padam Dugar, Vikas Makharia, Mansoor Siddiqi and Dugar Housing Ltd.

The investigation found that “Karti P Chidambaram, through his close aide S Bhaskararaman, illegally received Rs 50 lakh to obtain approval for repeated use of Chinese visa by a company called Talwandi Sabo Power Limited, which was setting up a power project in Mansa, Punjab. ”

“Officials from the company contacted Karti P Chidambaram, whose father served as home minister, to seek approval for repurposing the visa from the home ministry,” the education ministry said in a statement. (Senior Congress leader Chidambaram).”

The alleged modus operandi in the case was that the company paid Rs 50 lakh via check to the entry operator disguised as a false service provider.

“The entry operator further paid Rs 50 lakh in cash to S Bhaskararaman, a close associate of Karti Chidambaram, who subsequently invested the Rs 50 lakh cash in Advantage Strategy Consulting Private Limited controlled by Karti P Chidambaram,” it said. say.

The ED claimed that over a period of time, the value of Rs 50 lakh so invested increased to Rs 1.59 lakh, which was “proceeds of crime” under the provisions of PMLA.

The congressman had earlier said the Department of Education’s investigation into the case was a “fish and cruise” investigation and that he had submitted all documents to the agency.

He called the case “extremely false” and claimed he was “convinced that he had never facilitated a single Chinese citizen in the visa process, let alone 250 Chinese citizens.” He has said the case was an attempt to pass him by to target his father P Chidambaram.

The ED’s money laundering case stems from the CBI FIR.

According to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) FIR, the probe involves the payment of kickback of Rs 50 lakh to Karti and Bhaskararaman by a senior executive of Vedanta group company Talwandi Sabo Power Ltd. (TSPL).

According to the CBI, construction work on the power project was carried out by a Chinese company but was behind schedule.

According to the CBI FIR, a TSPL executive had sought re-issuance of project visas to 263 Chinese workers for an alleged transaction amounting to Rs 50 lakh.

Last year, India’s Central Bureau of Investigation raided the Chidambaram family’s residence and arrested Bhaskara Raman when Karti Chidambaram was questioned.

This is the third money laundering investigation against Karti, with the education ministry looking into the INX Media and Aircel-Maxis cases over the years.

Karti Chidambaram has been charged by the agency in the past in both cases.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)