Delhi High Court's Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma Recuses From Hearing Karti Chidambaram's Plea To Quash CBI Corruption FIR

Delhi High Court judge, Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma on Tuesday recused from hearing a plea filed by Congress MP Karti Chidambaram seeking the quashing of a corruption case registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) accusing him of giving relief to an alcoholic beverage company- Diageo Scotland over a ban on duty-free sale of its whisky.

Justice Sharma said that the matter “has to go before another bench”, adding that a similar plea filed by Advantage Strategic Consulting Private Limited will also be heard by another bench.

The matter is now listed before another judge in July.

Chidambaram has sought quashing of the FIR registered for the offences 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.

Chidambaram has submitted that the FIR has been registered on the basis of a complaint lodged by a CBI inspector pursuant to a Preliminary Inquiry registered in 2018.

He has said that 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.

It adds that there is a gross delay in the registration of the FIR as the allegations pertain to the period between the years 2004-2010 whereas the FIR was registered in 2025 i.e. after 20 years.

Chidambaram has contended 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.

The FIR alleges that Diageo Scotland and Sequoia Capitals suspiciously transferred funds to Advantage Strategic Consulting Pvt. Ltd., an entity controlled by Karti P Chidambaram and his close aide S Bhaskararaman.

As per the FIR, India Tourism Development Corporation, 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.

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 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.

Title: Karti P. Chidambaram v. CBI