Karti Chidambaram - CBI FIR 2025Karti Chidambaram - CBI FIR 2025

Embroiled in fresh corruption allegations by the CBI, Congress MP Karti Chidambaram has moved the Delhi High Court seeking the quashing of the FIR registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) accusing him of allegedly giving relief to an alcoholic beverage company – Diageo Scotland over a ban on duty-free sale of its whisky. He has been charged by the CBI under Sections 120B read with 420 and 471 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 and Sections 8, 9 and 13(2) read with 13(1)(d) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.

Karti made the application seeking quashing of the FIR registered on January 01, filed through Advocate Akshat Gupta.

The FIR was reportedly registered on the basis of a complaint lodged by a CBI inspector in December last year pursuant to a Preliminary Inquiry registered in 2018. It is unclear at this stage but Karti claims the allegations pertain to the period between 2004-2010.

According to Karti he was never called to join the Preliminary Enquiry by CBI and no opportunity was given to clarify his stand in respect of the allegations against him.

“Despite a 7-year long Preliminary Enquiry, no public servant is identified nor named in the Impugned FIR whom the petitioner is alleged to have influenced, either through corrupt or illegal means as outlined under Section 8 of the PC Act, 1988, or through personal influence as specified under Section 9 of the PC Act, the plea states.

According to Karti there is more than 20 years delay in the registration of the FIR, which makes it unfair and gross. He also contends that there is no allegation that he either demanded or accepted any bribe or illegal gratification from any person and therefore, no offence under Sections 8 and 9 of the PC Act is made out against him.

“Section 13(2) r/w Section 13(1)(d) PC Act, 1988 has no applicability in so far as the Petitioner is concerned since the aforesaid offence can only be committed by a public servant, whereas, the Petitioner was not a public servant at the time of commission of the alleged offence,” the plea states.

As per the FIR, the India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC), which had a monopoly over the sale of imported duty-free liquor in India, had put an embargo on the sale of the Diageo Group’s duty-free products in India, including liquor which it wanted to sell in India.

The FIR alleges that in order to lift the ban, Diageo Scotland approached Karti P Chidambaram and that USD 15,000 was received by his company Advantage Strategic Consulting Pvt. Ltd in the guise of consultancy charges after entering into a fake contract with Diageo Scotland.

As per the FIR, the amount was paid to Karti P Chidambaram for influencing public servants to lift the ban imposed on Diageo Scotland for sale of duty-free liquor and not for any consultancy work.

While Karti has been travelling overseas, Vienna, Austria and United Kingdom, perhaps suspecting his arrest, the CBI has been looking for Karti to join its investigations and knocked on the trial court’s door. The Trial Court while ordering Karti to join the investigation upon his return to India and cooperate in the process, directed the CBI to give three days prior written notice to Chidambaram in case his arrest is required after he joins the investigation.

By Singh