Overview
- Special Judge Dig Vinay Singh charged Karti Chidambaram and six others under IPC Section 120B and Sections 8 and 9 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, while discharging Chetan Shrivastava.
- The order notes reliance on an approver’s account, email exchanges, and a documented Rs 50 lakh payment from TSPL to Bell Tools as material corroboration.
- The CBI alleges the Rs 50 lakh was routed to S. Bhaskararaman to facilitate reuse and clearance of project visas for Chinese workers linked to TSPL’s 2011 power project.
- At the charge stage, the court said only strong suspicion based on collected material is required and declined to treat delay or defence readings of visa rules as grounds for discharge.
- The trial shifts to the prosecution evidence phase on January 16, 2026, alongside an ED money-laundering case alleging the Rs 50 lakh was invested in Advantage Strategic Consulting.