The Delhi High Court has issued a notice to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) following a plea by Congress MP Karti P. Chidambaram. Chidambaram challenged a trial court’s decision to frame charges against him in connection with the alleged Chinese visa scam case. The court took this action after a brief hearing, with Justice Manoj Jain presiding over the matter.
Senior advocate Siddharth Luthra, representing Chidambaram, argued that the charges under the Prevention of Corruption Act lacked essential elements. He emphasized that the charges could not be sustained without the involvement of a public servant. Luthra also pointed out that the trial court had framed a charge under Section 204 IPC without sufficient supporting evidence.
During the hearing, Luthra requested a stay on the trial court proceedings. In response, the Delhi High Court indicated that it would seek a response from the CBI before deciding on the interim relief request. The court has scheduled further hearings on February 12, with Justice Jain noting the appearance of the Special Public Prosecutor for the CBI and granting time for a reply and status report.
The case had previously seen several recusals by different judges. Justices Swarana Kanta Sharma, Anup Jairam Bhambhani, and Girish Kathpalia had recused themselves from hearing Chidambaram’s plea. In his criminal revision petition, Chidambaram contested the order passed by a special CBI court on December 23, 2025, which framed charges against him for criminal conspiracy and bribery involving a public servant in the alleged visa irregularities with Chinese nationals in 2011.
