NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday assured the Delhi High Court that it will not arrest Congress leader Karti Chidambaram in a case related to alleged Chinese visa scam till July 12, when his anticipatory bail plea in the matter will be taken up for hearing.
Appearing for ED, Additional Solicitor General (ASG) SV Raju made the assurance after the court said t it will not be able to deal with the matter on Friday. Justice Jasmeet Singh then directed the probe agency to file a status report in the matter before the next hearing on July 12.
Karti had approached the High Court after his anticipatory bail plea was dismissed by the trial court on June 3 on the ground that the offence was of a very serious nature. “The nature and gravity of the alleged offences, the nascent stage of investigation and also the previous criminal antecedents of the accused Karti P Chidambaram and S Bhaskararaman do not make it out a case for grant of anticipatory bail to the applicants or for any further interim protection to them for joining of the investigation of this case as it will seriously hamper the process and progress of the investigation,” the order passed by Special Judge MK Nagpal stated.
The ED has registered the money laundering case against Karti and others in the alleged scam pertaining to the issuance of a visa to 263 Chinese nationals in 2011 when his father P Chidambaram was the home minister.