Visa case: MP Karti Chidambaram's anticipatory bail plea dismissed by CBI court

New Delhi, Jun 3: Congress MP Karti Chidambaram and two others' anticipatory bail applications were dismissed by the Special CBI court on Friday in connection with a money laundering case connected with the Chinese Visa scam case, news agency ANI reported.

The Rouse Avenue Court on Monday reserved the order in the anticipatory bail application of Congress MP Karti Chidambaram, his CA S Bhaskar Raman and one another accused in a money laundering case connected with the Visa scam case.

Special CBI judge MK Nagpal reserved the order after hearing the arguments of the Defence counsel and prosecution Agency.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) filed a money laundering case in an alleged Chinese visa scam involving Congress MP Karti Chidambaram, officials said earlier.

The ED registered the case under the criminal sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, taking cognisance of a recent First Information Report registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation in the case, said the officials.

It is alleged that Karti received illegal gratification of Rs 50 lakh to illegally facilitate visas for 263 Chinese nationals' to complete a power project in Punjab.

Karti 'misused his influence' in the Home Ministry in 2011 and 'conspired' with co-accused to devise a "back-door way to defeat the purpose of the ceiling" on work permits imposed by the Ministry, CBI has alleged. Karti's father and senior Congress leader P Chidambaram was Home Minister in 2011.

P Chidambaram has not been named as an accused in the FIR.

Besides Karti, four others have been booked by the CBI. The four co-accused are Karti's chartered accountant S. Bhaskararaman, Vikas Makharia, representative of Talwandi Sabo Power Ltd, a Mansa-based private company, and Bell Tools, Mumbai, have been named. The FIR also mentions "unknown public servants and private individuals" too.

On May 17, CBI arrested S Bhaskarraman close in the alleged visa scam.