New Delhi: The Rouse Avenue Court issued interim bail to three individuals implicated in the Chinese Visa scam money laundering case until the next hearing. Karti Chidambaram, a Congress MP, did not file a bail application at the trial court, as his anticipatory bail plea is pending before the High Court. He appeared via video conferencing, while the other accused attended the court physically. Special CBI Judge Kaveri Baweja granted interim bail to each accused upon furnishing a bail bond of Rs. one lakh. The court also allowed the Enforcement Directorate (ED) time to respond to the regular bail applications of other accused persons.
The next hearing is scheduled for May 2. The accused individuals were summoned by the court following the acknowledgment of the charge sheet. On March 19, the Rouse Avenue Court issued summons to Karti Chidambaram and seven others accused in connection with the money laundering case linked to the Chinese Visa issue. The ED recently filed a prosecution complaint naming Karti Chidambaram, S Bhaskararaman, and several others, including various firms, as accused parties.
In a previous hearing, Karti Chidambaram had moved an anticipatory bail plea in the Delhi High Court, where the Assistant Solicitor General SV Raju assured the court orally that no coercive action would be taken until the matter is pending. Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal argued that there is no substantial evidence against the accused, emphasizing that no money laundering case can be established if there were no allegations of monetary transactions involving Karti Chidambaram. He highlighted that the alleged transaction dates back to 2011, while the case was registered in 2022.
Sibal raised concerns about the possibility of arrest without notice, citing the protection of 72 hours' notice granted in the CBI case. He also contended that the alleged transaction value is less than one crore rupees, warranting bail. Conversely, ASG S V Raju argued that the bail application was premature, as there was insufficient evidence in the case. He questioned the legitimacy of the apprehension of arrest, given that no summons were issued, only an ECIR was registered. The CBI judge at the Rouse Avenue Court had previously dismissed all three applications moved by Karti Chidambaram, S. Bhaskararaman, and Vikas Makharia on June 3, 2022.
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