New Delhi, May 17 (Bureau) The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is conducting searches in 10 premises and offices linked to Congress MP Karti Chidambaram in connection with a case related to alleged foreign remittance, agency sources said here on Tuesday. Sources said the raids were being carried out at several places, including Delhi and Chennai. “It was alleged that Karti Chidambaram favoured Chinese nationals in getting visas by accepting money,” the sources said. They claimed these Chinese nationals took visas for a project in Punjab’s Mansa. A CBI team also conducted raids at the residence of Karti’s father and former Union Minister P Chidambaram in connection with the former’s case. The senior Chidambaram, in an apparent attack on the ruling BJP, questioned the timing of the raids. “This morning, a CBI team searched my residence at Chennai and my official residence at Delhi.
The team showed me a FIR in which I am not named as an accused. The search team found nothing and seized nothing. I may point out that the timing of the search is interesting,” the former Union Home and Finance Minister tweeted. Earlier in the day, Chidambaram junior while taking a dig at the probe agency said, “I have lost count, how many times has it been? Must be a record.” Giving details on the CBI raid conducted against him, he wrote in a social media post, “Twice in 2015 and 2018, once in 2017 and today.” Congress national spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said: “Mr. PChidambaram is a Nationalist & a Patriot, whose commitment to the country is unquestionable. To plant source based preposterous allegations against a former Home Minister & Finance Minister by CBI reflects the lowest ebb in political discourse.” The CBI in a statement said it has registered a case against five accused, including Karti Chidambaram, private companies based at Mumbai, Mansa (Punjab) etc and unknown public servants and others on allegations of bribery to facilitate issuance of visa to a Chinese company beyond the ceiling.