Karti Chidambaram, son of former Union Minister P Chidambaram, and his associates faced bribery allegations from the CBI. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) raided Congress heavyweight leader and MP Karti Chidambaram’s house and office on Tuesday, May 17. The CBI searched the Chennai, Mumbai, Odisha, and Delhi residences and offices of the Congress leader.
The CBI has accused Chidambaram of misusing his father’s position. According to the CBI, he received a bribe of ₹50 lakhs for issuing visas to 250 Chinese residents. He did this for a Punjab power project between 2010-14. For the same, the CBI searched his Delhi residence, 80 Lodhi Estate, on Tuesday morning. Sources say that the CBI interrogated the house staff and took some documents. Shortly after the raid, Karti tweeted and expressed his surprise at CBI’s act.
Past Records
However, this is not the first time the CBI has dragged Karti Chidambaram into a case. Currently, the bureau is investigating him under matters like the INX media case that occurred during his father’s reign as Finance Minister. Afterward, the CBI registered a corruption case, and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) filed a money laundering case against him. Subsequently, the economic offenses watchdog reported a PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act) case based on a CBI FIR.
A Chinese firm took up the Punjab Power Project. However, it was running behind schedule and needed an urgent workforce. But, there was a strict bar on entry of foreign nationals that year. Sources say that the Chinese firm and its Indian Partner reached Karti for aid. Meanwhile, Karti’s father and senior INC leader, P Chidambaram, has questioned the raid’s timing. In Chidambaram’s tweet, he mentioned the CBI’s failure as they had to go empty-handed after the search.
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