A Delhi court has charged Congress Member of Parliament Karti Chidambaram in the Chinese visa scam case for criminal conspiracy and bribing a public servant. The charges also extend to his former chartered accountant, S. Bhaskararaman, and other accused individuals. The court set January 16, 2026, as the next hearing date for the trial, which involves alleged irregularities in 2011 concerning the misuse of Chinese visas.
The case revolves around the misuse of visas for Chinese nationals during the construction of a power plant in Punjab, with allegations pointing to violations of Ministry of Home Affairs norms. Specifically, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) claims that visas for approximately 250 Chinese workers were misused beyond permissible limits. The focus is on Talwandi Sabo Power Limited (TSPL), a company associated with the Vedanta group, during a power project in Punjab’s Mansa.
According to the CBI, TSPL allegedly paid an illegal gratification of Rs 50 lakh to Bell Tools Limited, funneled to Bhaskararaman, to secure visa approvals and renewals for Chinese nationals beyond the authorized guidelines. The agency asserts that this payment was made during the tenure of Karti Chidambaram’s father, P. Chidambaram, as the Union Home Minister. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is also pursuing parallel proceedings in connection with this case.
In a related development, Karti Chidambaram was granted bail in a money laundering case tied to the same Chinese visa scam. The ED alleges that the Rs 50 lakh illegal gratification was invested in Advantage Strategic Consulting Private Ltd, a company allegedly under Chidambaram’s control. The ED contends that this investment grew to Rs 1.59 crore over time, constituting proceeds of crime under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
