A Rouse Avenue Court in Delhi on Thursday granted interim protection to Congress MP Karti Chidambaram from arrest till May 30 in an alleged money laundering case registered by ED in connection with an alleged Chinese visa scam.
Chidambaram appeared before the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) at its headquarters today to record his statement in connection.
He has been accused along with others of allegedly helping 263 Chinese nationals to get visas by flouting rules.
Karti had to appear before the CBI on Wednesday by 11 a.m., but he didn't join the probe. He told the journalists that "he had to go to a barber shop for a haircut".
"Now he has come and we will record his statement. His questioning will begin around 11 a.m.," said the CBI source.
His Chartered Accountant, is currently in custodial remand of the CBI. Karti will be confronted with him. The CBI had told the court that they wanted to confront him with Karti and other accused.
The CBI has also recovered 65,000 emails in the matter which will be used as evidence.
A sales deed recovered during the raids is very important. This sales deed is of a property bought in Jor Bagh and the power of attorney is in the name of Bhaskararaman whereas the property was bought by Karti and his mother.
According to the FIR, a Mansa (Punjab) based private firm, Talwandi Sabo Power Limited, took the help of a middleman and allegedly paid Rs 50 lakh to get the visas issued for the Chinese nationals which would help it in completing a project before the deadline.
It has been alleged that senior Congress leader and former Union Minister P. Chidambaram allegedly helped the Chinese get visas by flouting rules.
The CBI officials said that they were looking into the matter.
(with agency inputs)
