Image: IANS NEW DELHI: A Delhi court on Tuesday ordered framing of charges against Congress MP Karti P Chidambaram and six others in connection with a visa scam, holding that prime facie, a case was made out against them for criminal conspiracy and illegal gratification. The court, however, discharged the eighth accused, Chetan Shrivastava, after concluding that there was “no material evidence” on record against him.CBI had filed a chargesheet in Oct 2024 against Karti and the others, alleging bribery in facilitating visas for Chinese nationals for a power company, Talwandi Sabo Power Limited (TSPL), in 2011, when his father P Chidambaram was Union home minister.Special CBI judge Dig Vinay Singh of Rouse Avenue courts observed that there was enough material to proceed against the Sivaganga MP and six other accused for offences including criminal conspiracy, demand and receipt of bribe, destruction of evidence, and related charges. The judge noted the materials placed before the court pointed to ‘coordinated acts’ by the accused.Besides Karti, others chargesheeted in the case included his close associate S Bhaskararaman, TSPL and Mumbai-based Bell Tools Ltd, through which the bribe was routed.The court held that at the present stage of framing the charges, the statement of approver Vikas Makharia, who was the associate vice-president of TSPL, had to be accepted at face value and it could be examined during the trial. It further observed that the conspiracy between Karti and Bhaskararaman was evident, based on the evidence collected during the investigation.Tracing the sequence of events, the court noted that Makharia approached Karti through Bhaskararaman in Chennai seeking 800 additional project visas for TSPL, believing that he had access to home ministry. Bhaskararaman dema-nded and received a bribe of Rs 50 lakh. Subsequently, the approver (Makharia) telephonically thanked Ch-idambaram, who affirmed receipt of the amount. The court noted that although explicit words such as “payment” or “money” were avoided during the call, the acknowledgement was recorded. The court rejected the submissions made by Karti that he had “not read the emails” relied upon by the prosecution, or that there was “no substantiated proof” of a meeting in Chennai or any telephonic conversation.CBI had registered an FIR in the case in 2022. According to the agency, TSPL, a subsidiary of Vedanta, had outsourced work to a Chinese firm for its 1,980 MW thermal power plant coming up in Punjab. With the project facing penalties because of delays, the facilitation was sought for re-use of project visas, since there was a ceiling on project visas permissible for a company’s plant. The FIR said there was no provision for the re-issue of project visas.About the AuthorKoushiki SahaKoushiki Saha, a trainee journalist currently reporting for The Times of India, covers urban governance, infrastructure lapses, public grievances, and municipal policies with clarity and compassion. Still learning every day, she draws insights from fieldwork, lived experiences, and holding authorities accountable through persistent, people-focused reporting.Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosDelhi HC Grants Bail To Kuldeep Sengar; Victim’s Sister Says ‘Put Us In Jail To Keep Us Safe’India Summons Bangladesh High Commissioner Over Violence Against Hindus, Protests Continue”No Cases Filed”: Prachy Accuses Yunus Administration Of Protecting Convicted TerroristsExperts Warn India As Yunus Loses Control In Bangladesh After Hadi Killing Sparks Unrest NationwidePAN-Aadhaar Deadline Nears: How To Link Before December 31 Or Risk Inoperative PAN From Next Year“Neither Janmat Nor Janpath”: Bjp Alleges Growing Rebellion Against Rahul Gandhi Within CongressPak PM Sharif’s Party Leader Threatens India, Warns Missiles Will Respond If Bangladesh Is TargetedIndia’s BrahMos Missile Goes Global As India Closes $450m Defence Pacts With Vietnam And Indonesia’Make Her PM & See…’: Congress MP Endorses Priyanka Gandhi; BJP Takes ‘No Faith In Rahul’ DigHanuman Chalisa Verse Echoes In Delhi As Hindu Lynching In Bangladesh Triggers High Voltage Protests123PhotostoriesDancing skylights: Why do auroras shine in different magical colours across skies?New seasons releasing on OTT in 2026: From ‘Bridgerton 4’ to ‘Euphoria 3’From Rajat Bedi to Akshaye Khanna: Best Bollywood comebacks of 202510 local Indian Christmas delicacies that are a must try5 latest bridal nath designs to elevate your traditional Indian wedding lookCosmic Fungi explained: The strange radiation-eating organisms found at Chernobyl8 classic Chicken Soups to keep you warm this winterMerry Christmas 2025: 10 famous classic Christmas dishes from around the worldAryan Khan with ‘The Ba***ds of Bollywood’; Tisca Chopra with ‘Saali Mohabbat’: Meet the debut directors of 2025From taking her first steps post delivery to updating fans on Kaju’s health and Laughter Chefs shoot, Bharti Singh shares an emotional hospital vlog123Hot PicksUAE WeatherPAN-Aadhaar linkingGold price predictionGold rate todaySilver rate todayPublic Holidays DecemberBank Holidays DecemberTop TrendingShane Bieber and Kara Net WorthMLB Trade RumorsMunetaka MurakamiGiannis AntetokounmpoJack EichelCraig BerubePaul Heyman and Marla Heyman Net WorthDK MetcalfJade Cargill and Brandon Net WorthMax Holloway Net Worth
NEW DELHI: A Delhi court on Tuesday ordered framing of charges against Congress MP Karti P Chidambaram and six others in connection with a visa scam, holding that prime facie, a case was made out against them for criminal conspiracy and illegal gratification. The court, however, discharged the eighth accused, Chetan Shrivastava, after concluding that there was “no material evidence” on record against him.CBI had filed a chargesheet in Oct 2024 against Karti and the others, alleging bribery in facilitating visas for Chinese nationals for a power company, Talwandi Sabo Power Limited (TSPL), in 2011, when his father P Chidambaram was Union home minister.Special CBI judge Dig Vinay Singh of Rouse Avenue courts observed that there was enough material to proceed against the Sivaganga MP and six other accused for offences including criminal conspiracy, demand and receipt of bribe, destruction of evidence, and related charges. The judge noted the materials placed before the court pointed to ‘coordinated acts’ by the accused.Besides Karti, others chargesheeted in the case included his close associate S Bhaskararaman, TSPL and Mumbai-based Bell Tools Ltd, through which the bribe was routed.The court held that at the present stage of framing the charges, the statement of approver Vikas Makharia, who was the associate vice-president of TSPL, had to be accepted at face value and it could be examined during the trial. It further observed that the conspiracy between Karti and Bhaskararaman was evident, based on the evidence collected during the investigation.Tracing the sequence of events, the court noted that Makharia approached Karti through Bhaskararaman in Chennai seeking 800 additional project visas for TSPL, believing that he had access to home ministry. Bhaskararaman dema-nded and received a bribe of Rs 50 lakh. Subsequently, the approver (Makharia) telephonically thanked Ch-idambaram, who affirmed receipt of the amount. The court noted that although explicit words such as “payment” or “money” were avoided during the call, the acknowledgement was recorded. The court rejected the submissions made by Karti that he had “not read the emails” relied upon by the prosecution, or that there was “no substantiated proof” of a meeting in Chennai or any telephonic conversation.CBI had registered an FIR in the case in 2022. According to the agency, TSPL, a subsidiary of Vedanta, had outsourced work to a Chinese firm for its 1,980 MW thermal power plant coming up in Punjab. With the project facing penalties because of delays, the facilitation was sought for re-use of project visas, since there was a ceiling on project visas permissible for a company’s plant. The FIR said there was no provision for the re-issue of project visas.
