New Delhi [India], April 7 : Congress MP Karti Chidambaram has filed a petition at the Delhi High Court seeking a deferment of arguments in the Chinese Visa scam and Aircel-Maxis deal cases, which the Enforcement Directorate is currently prosecuting.
The plea contests the trial court's rejection of his application to delay the proceedings, highlighting the necessity of resolving the predicate offenses before advancing further.
Through this petition, Chidambaram seeks to defer arguments on the charges until the trial court determines whether charges will be framed against him in the alleged predicate offenses.
Represented by senior Advocate Sidharth Luthra and Arshdeep Singh Khurana, advocate instructed by Akshat Gupta, Advocate, Karti has challenged the trial court's March 28 order that dismissed his application for a stay on the ongoing proceedings or postponement of arguments on charges in these matters.
Senior Advocate Luthra argued that the trial court failed to recognise a critical legal principle: the initiation and continuation of proceedings for a money laundering offense depend on the existence of a scheduled crime and the generation of proceeds from such a crime. He emphasised that if an individual is discharged or acquitted of the scheduled offense, or if the offense is successfully quashed, the money laundering charges cannot be sustained.
On Monday, a senior advocate representing Karti Chidambaram presented arguments in the case, while Zoheb Hossian advocated on behalf of the Enforcement Directorate. Justice Ravinder Dudeja presided over the proceedings, engaging in an extensive discussion before adjourning the matter to April 9, 2025, for further hearing.
In the Aircel-Maxis case, the Enforcement Directorate initiated proceedings under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002, against Karti P. Chidambaram, M/s Advantage Strategic Consulting Pvt. Ltd. (ASCPL), and others. This action was based on an ECIR recorded following an FIR filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for alleged offenses under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, 1860, and the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, according to an ED press statement.
In the Chinese Visa scam case, the 2022 ED investigation revolves around allegations of Rs50 lakh being paid as kickbacks to Karti Chidambaram and his close associate, S. Bhaskararaman. The payment was allegedly made by a senior executive of Talwandi Sabo Power Ltd. (TSPL), which was involved in setting up a power plant in Punjab, as per the CBI FIR.