Delhi HC asks trial court to defer evidence in Chinese visa case against Karti Chidambaram

The Delhi High Court on Thursday directed a trial court to defer recording of evidence in the alleged Chinese visa scam case in which Congress MP Karti Chidambaram is facing prosecution on charges of corruption and criminal conspiracy.

Justice Manoj Jain directed the trial court not to record statements of witnesses till October 8. “It would be appropriate that the trial court defers recording of evidence in the case till the next date of hearing (before the high court),” Justice Jain said.

The high court was informed that the matter is listed before the trial court this Friday.

The high court passed the order on separate pleas by the CBI, Karti Chidambaram and other accused challenging the framing of charges in the case.
While Karti Chidambaram and other accused have challenged the framing of corruption and conspiracy charges on the ground that no case was made out against them, CBI has sought framing of additional charges against the accused.

During the hearing, the CBI’s counsel argued that the trial be permitted to go on and the probe agency be allowed to record statements of some of the former witnesses who are old and crucial to the case. Senior advocate Sidharth Luthra, appearing for Karti Chidambaram, urged the high court to stay the trial in the case till their pleas are heard.
The high court had earlier issued notice and sought CBI’s response on Karti Chidambaram’s plea challenging the trial court’s charge framing order.

The MP’s lawyer had earlier argued that in spite of charges under sections 8 and 9 of the Prevention of Corruption Act over an alleged bribe of `50 lakh, no public servants had been arrayed or identified.

 He had said the entire case was based on the statement of an approver and there was a complete absence of material to show any demand or acceptance of any bribe.
On December 23, 2025, a trial court ordered framing of charges for criminal conspiracy and corruption against Karti Chidambaram and six others in the case.

It had said “prima facie” there was sufficient material to frame charges against the Congress MP for the substantive offence under IPC Sections 120 B (criminal conspiracy) and under sections 8 (taking gratification, in order, by corrupt or illegal means, to influence a public servant) and 9 (taking gratification, for exercise of personal influence with public servant) of the Prevention of Corruption (PC) Act.

In his petition before the High Court, the Lok Sabha member from Sivaganga said the trial court did not apply its judicial mind to the material and documents on record as it completely ignored documents, evidence and statements of witnesses which show absence of criminality.

The petition said there was neither any bribe nor conspiracy, as alleged by the investigating agency.

“There must be evidence of money or the equivalent being demanded by the accused, payment thereof and acceptance by the accused. The trial court has incorrectly observed that the petitioner demanded Rs 50 lakh for the work. There is not even an allegation, let alone evidence (direct or circumstantial) of any demand being made by the petitioner,” the plea filed through lawyer Akshat Gupta said.

 “The trial court failed to appreciate that ‘re-use’ of visas was already an existing practice, and there was no requirement for any conspiracy to receive a routine administrative clarification,” it added.
The CBI had filed the charge sheet after two years of probe into its FIR registered in 2022, where it had alleged that the Punjab-based TSPL was setting up a 1980 MW thermal power plant and the work was outsourced to Chinese company Shandong Electric Power Construction Corp (SEPCO).

The project was running behind schedule, and the company was allegedly facing the prospect of a penalty.
The CBI FIR, which contained findings of the investigating officer who undertook the preliminary inquiry, alleged that an executive of TSPL approached Karti Chidambaram through his “close associate/front man” S Bhaskararaman.

 In its charge sheet, besides Karti Chidambaram, the CBI has named chartered accountant Bhaskararaman, Vedanta subsidiary TSPL, and Mumbai-based Bell Tools, through which bribes were allegedly routed.