ED files chargesheet against Karti Chidambaram, others in money laundering case
The Congress leader allegedly accepted an illegal reward of Rs 50 lakh to facilitate the resuse of Chinese visas for an aide, the agency has alleged.
The Enforcement Directorate has filed a chargesheet against Congress leader Karti Chidambaram, Advantage Strategic Consulting Private Limited, among others, in connection with an alleged money laundering case, The Hindu reported.
The charges were filed in a special Delhi court that took cognisance of the central law enforcement agency’s prosecution complaint on March 19, The Hindu reported.
The central law enforcement agency has also named Karti Chidambaram’s alleged aide, S Bhaskararaman, and Talwandi Sabo Power Limited under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
The Enforcement Directorate has alleged that the Lok Sabha MP took an illegal gratification, or reward, of Rs 50 lakh through Bhaskararaman for obtaining the approval for reuse of Chinese visas by Talwandi Sabo Power Limited, which was establishing a power project at Mansa, in Punjab.
The agency had launched the probe based on a first information report filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation under several provisions of Prevention of Money Laundering Act and the Indian Penal Code.
“Officials of the company [Talwandi Sabo Power Limited] approached Karti P Chidambaram for getting the approval for reuse of visas from the Ministry of Home Affairs wherein his father was [Union] Home Minister,” the agency said in a statement.
Karti Chidambaram’s father, P Chidambaram, was the Union home minister between 2008 and 2012 during the United Progressive Alliance government.
The company paid Rs 50 lakh through cheque to an entry operator in the garb of fictitious services who in turn paid it allegedly to Bhaskararaman, the agency has alleged.
“Subsequently, S Bhaskararaman invested this cash of Rs 50 lakh in Advantage Strategic Consulting Private Limited, a company controlled by Karti P Chidambaram,” the agency said. “The value of Rs 50 lakh so invested increased to Rs 1.59 crore over a period of time which is the proceeds of crime as per provisions of PMLA.”