Karti Chidambaram approached the Delhi High Court seeking to quash a new CBI case against him. The agency alleges he accepted a bribe from Diageo Scotland to facilitate the lifting of a liquor import ban in 2005. At the time, his father, P. Chidambaram, was the Union Finance Minister. The case adds to the legal troubles facing the Congress leader.
New Delhi: Congress leader and Sivaganga MP Karti Chidambaram approached the Delhi High Court to request the dismissal of a new corruption case filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
This case involves allegations of bribery linked to the alcoholic beverage company, Diageo Scotland.
The CBI claims that Chidambaram accepted a bribe from Diageo Scotland in exchange for lifting a ban on liquor imports in 2005, during the tenure of his father, P Chidambaram, as the Union Finance Minister.
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Chidambaram’s petition was heard on Thursday by Justice Vikas Mahajan. However, his lawyer requested an adjournment due to the unavailability of the counsel designated to argue the case. The court granted the request and scheduled the next hearing for April 16.
The CBI charged Chidambaram with offenses under Section 120B (criminal conspiracy) and Section 420 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code, as well as violations of the Prevention of Corruption Act. He is also implicated in other cases, including the Aircel-Maxis case, the INX Media case, and the Chinese Visa case.
Karti Chidambaram denied the allegations, saying that the case is politically motivated and has no truth. He has moved the Delhi High Court to cancel the charges, claiming that they are false and meant to damage his reputation.
This is another legal trouble for Chidambaram, who has faced corruption cases before. In 2018, the CBI arrested him in the INX Media case, but he later got bail.
The Diageo Scotland bribery case involves allegations that Diageo Scotland, a leading alcoholic beverages company, paid a bribe to Congress MP Karti Chidambaram to lift a ban on the duty-free sale of Johnnie Walker whisky in India.
Karti Chidambaram has been previously involved in corruption cases, including the INX Media case (2018), where he was arrested by the CBI but later granted bail.
The case against Diageo Scotland adds to India’s ongoing crackdown on financial misconduct involving multinational corporations.
Case Title: Karti P. Chidambaram v. CBI