Chinese Visa Case: Karti Chidambaram will not appear before ED again, asked for more time
Chinese Visa Case: Karti Chidambaram has called the ED's investigation (Chinese Visa Case) absurd. The federal agency had first asked the 52-year-old MLA to appear before the investigating officer of the case in Delhi on December 12. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) asked him to appear on December 16, citing his busy schedule in the Parliament session.
Congress MP Karti Chidambaram has sought exemption from appearing before the ED on Saturday. In 2011, he was issued a fresh summons and called for questioning in a money laundering case related to the issuance of visas to some Chinese citizens. However, Chidambaram needs time to collect the documents.
The federal agency had first asked the 52-year-old MLA to appear before the investigating officer of the case in Delhi on December 12. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) asked him to appear on December 16, citing his busy schedule in the Parliament session.
According to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) FIR, the 2022 ED case pertains to the payment of Rs 50 lakh as a bribe by a top executive of Vedanta group company Talwandi Sabo Power Limited (TSPL) to Karti and his close associate S Bhaskararaman. Relates to the allegations.
Karti, through his lawyer, has sent a nearly 100-page reply to the investigating officer of the case attaching his election affidavit, income tax returns, bank accounts, and immovable property details, while he has sought exemption from appearing on Saturday and also Has asked for time. Saying that he was willing to appear before the agency and cooperate with the investigation, Karthi's lawyer said he had certain arguments.
The MP said in the letter that the information and documents sought from him are nothing and there is no reason to call into question the personal financial affairs of him and his family members in this investigation. Karti told the ED that in the "spirit of cooperating in the investigation", he had already handed over the sought documents and records to the agency, while information related to his financial affairs was available in the public domain through his election affidavit.
The MP cited that he had submitted these documents to the ED 19 times between 2018-2019 in the INX Media and Aircel-Maxis case. Earlier this week, Karti had told the news agency PTI that this case is 'most fake'. The CBI had raided the premises of the Chidambaram family last year and arrested Bhaskararaman, while Karti was interrogated.
