Today 5th April, The Rouse Avenue Court recently granted temporary bail to three individuals accused in the Chinese Visa scam money laundering case until the next hearing. Congress MP Karti Chidambaram did not apply for bail in the trial court but an ongoing anticipatory bail request in the High Court. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) assured verbally that no coercive actions will be taken during the case’s pendency. Special CBI Judge Kaveri Baweja granted temporary bail upon a Rs 1 lakh bail bond submission. The court also allowed time for the ED to respond to bail requests from other accused persons.
New Delhi: The Rouse Avenue Court on Friday, granted temporary bail to three individuals accused in the Chinese Visa scam money laundering case until the next scheduled hearing. Congress MP Karti Chidambaram did not submit a bail application in the trial court.
His anticipatory bail request is pending a decision in the High Court. Where the Enforcement Directorate (ED) verbally assured no coercive measures will be taken while the case is pending. He attended via video conferencing, while the other accused individuals were physically present. Special CBI Judge Kaveri Baweja granted temporary bail to each accused upon submission of a Rs 1 lakh bail bond. The court also allowed time for the ED to respond to regular bail pleas from other accused persons. Three accused individuals granted temporary bail after furnishing the required bail bond.
The upcoming hearing is scheduled for May 2nd.
The court summoned the accused individuals after acknowledging the charge sheet. On March 19, the Rouse Avenue Court issued summonses to Congress leader Karti Chidambaram and seven others accused in a money laundering case linked to the Chinese Visa issue.
Read Also:Delhi Court Summons Karti Chidambaram in Chinese Visa Case Following ED Charge Sheet
Recently, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) filed a prosecution complaint naming Karti Chidambaram, S Bhaskararaman, and several others, along with several firms, as accused parties.
Karti Chidambaram previously applied for anticipatory bail in the Delhi High Court in this case. During the hearing, ASG SV Raju represented the Enforcement Directorate and verbally assured the court of refraining from coercive action during the case’s pendency. Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal contended that there is insufficient evidence against the accused.
He stated,
“There is no money laundering case established since there are no accusations of funds being transferred to Karti Chidambaram. Without money involved, laundering cannot occur. Despite this, they proceeded to register the ECIR. The accused has actively participated in and is cooperating with the investigation,”
Senior advocate Sibal also contended that the purported transaction dates back to 2011, while the case registered in 2022.
Read Also: Senthil Balaji’s Plea in Money Laundering Case to Be Reconsider by Chennai Court
He argued,
“There is a fear of arrest because they filed the ECIR just ten days after the CBI registered the FIR. My name is mentioned in that ECIR, which means they have the authority to arrest me without prior notice or summons,”
Sibal argued,
“I have been granted protection in the CBI case, allowing me a 72-hour notice before any arrest. This gives me the opportunity to seek legal recourse from the court,”
Previously, he contended that the alleged transaction amount is Rs. 50 lakh, which falls below one crore. Due to this, he asserted that bail should be granted. Conversely, ASG S V Raju argued that the bail application is premature as there is insufficient evidence in this case.
He argued,
“We will conduct a thorough investigation into the case. However, they still fear arrest. Why is that? If there is no case against them, why this fear?”
He further contended that this application is premature since no summons issued; only an ECIR was registered.
Therefore, the fear of arrest is unfounded. CBI Judge M K Nagpal of the Rouse Avenue Court dismissed all three applications filed by Karti Chidambaram, S. Bhaskararaman, and Vikas Makharia on June 3, 2022.