CBI raids 9 locations linked to Chidambaram in new case involving Chinese nationals

CBI is conducting searches at multiple locations (residence and office) of Congress leader Karti Chidambaram, in connection with an ongoing case.

New Delhi:The CBI has filed a fresh case against Lok Sabha MP Karti Chidambaram, son of former finance minister P Chidambaram, for allegedly facilitating visas of 250 Chinese nationals after receiving illegal gratification of Rs 50 lakh in 2011, officials said on Tuesday.

The CBI on Tuesday morning started coordinated search operations at 10 locations in multiple cities in the country, including Karti Chidambaram's residences in Chennai and Delhi, they said.The searches are being conducted at three locations in Chennai, three in Mumbai and one each in Delhi, Karnataka, Punjab and Odisha, they added.

A CBI team also visited the official residence of Karti Chidambaram and senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP P Chidambaram at Lodhi Estate here, the officials told PTI. Reacting to the development, Karti tweeted to say that he has 'lost count of the number of cases' filed against him and that it 'must be a record'.

Chidambaram took to Twitter and wrote, "This morning, a CBI team searched my residence at Chennai and my official residence at Delhi. The team showed me an FIR in which I am not named as an accused.The search team found nothing and seized nothing.I may point out that the timing of the search is interesting."

In the new case which is an offshoot of an ongoing probe, the CBI has alleged that Karti had received a Rs 50 lakh alleged bribe to facilitate the visa of 250 Chinese nationals during the UPA regime for Talwandi Sabo power project in July-August 2011, when P Chidambaram was the Union home minister, the officials told PTI.

It is alleged that the power project in Punjab for which the establishment contract was given to a Chinese firm was running behind schedule and it needed manpower but there was a ceiling for allowing work permits of foreign nationals, they said. Allegations are also that the firm approached Karti who used his influence to facilitate the visas in violation of ceiling imposed, they added.

Karti Chidambaram is being probed in cases registered by the CBI, including the case lodged on May 15, 2017, over irregularities in a Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance granted to INX Media group for receiving overseas funds of Rs 305 crore in 2007 during P Chidambaram's tenure as the Union Finance Minister.

Following the scrutiny of the transactions, the CBI had detected the payments worth Rs 50 lakh which are alleged to be illegal gratification for facilitating the visa of Chinese workers who were supposed to work at the plant, the officials said.Thereafter, the ED had also lodged a money laundering case.

The economic offences watchdog had registered a PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act) case based on FIR by the CBI and alleged that irregularities took place in the FIPB clearance to INX media.