Karti Chidambaram appears before CBI for 2nd day in visa bribery case

NEW DELHI: Lok Sabha MP Karti Chidambaram appeared before the CBI for the second day on Friday to answer queries related to allegations of bribe in issuance of visas to 263 Chinese workers in 2011 when his father P Chidambaram was the home minister, officials said.

The CBI has booked Karti and others in an FIR related to allegations of Rs 50 lakh being paid as bribe to Karti and his close associate S Bhaskararaman by a top executive of Vedanta group company Talwandi Sabo Power Ltd. (TSPL), which was setting a power plant in Punjab for re-issuance of project visa to 263 Chinese workers employed there, the CBI FIR said.

The agency has already arrested Bhaskararaman in connection with the case.

The FIR has stated that the work for setting up the power project was being executed by a Chinese company and was running behind schedule.

A TSPL executive had sought re-issuance of project visa for the Chinese workers for which Rs 50 lakh allegedly exchanged hands, according to the FIR. The Lok Sabha MP has denied all allegations, calling the case most bogus and a result of political vendetta.