In a recent development, the Delhi High Court has scheduled August 4 as the date to hear a plea by Congress MP Karti Chidambaram, which seeks the quashing of a CBI FIR lodged against him. The FIR accuses him of aiding Diageo Scotland in circumventing a ban on the duty-free sale of its whisky.
Justice Ravinder Dudeja postponed the hearing after being informed that Karti’s senior counsel was unavailable to argue the case on the previously scheduled date.
Karti Chidambaram has contended that the FIR, registered on January 1, 2025, was not only delayed but also motivated by “political vendetta and regime revenge”. He argues that the case, which is the fourth against him, stems from a preliminary inquiry initiated by the CBI in 2018, focusing on alleged irregularities in the granting of FIPB clearances during the tenure of his father, P Chidambaram, as the Finance Minister.
The plea, represented by advocate Akshat Gupta, asserts that the delay in filing the FIR—which pertains to actions allegedly taken between 2004 and 2010—is unreasonable and unlawful, especially since it was filed without prior approval from the competent authority against unidentified public servants.
The allegations against Karti include facilitating relief for Diageo Scotland regarding a ban imposed by the India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) on the duty-free sale of its products, notably Johnnie Walker whisky. This ban, effective from April 2005, purportedly caused substantial losses to Diageo, given that 70% of its Indian business was based on these duty-free sales.
Further complications arose when the CBI claimed that suspicious payments were made to Advantage Strategic Consulting Pvt. Ltd (ASCPL), a firm said to be controlled by Karti and his close associate S Bhaskararaman, by Diageo Scotland and Sequoia Capitals.
As the legal proceedings continue, the High Court has previously directed the CBI to provide Karti a three-day prior notice before any action in this corruption case. The case was last deferred on February 6, with the hearing moved to April 16, before being rescheduled to the current August date.
