Congress MP Karti Chidambaram withdrew his anticipatory bail plea related to the Diageo bribery case after the CBI assured no immediate arrest plans. The court directed the CBI to provide three days’ notice before any potential arrest once Chidambaram returns from abroad. He labeled the case politically motivated and denied the allegations against him.
New Delhi: In a significant development, Congress MP Karti Chidambaram, representing Sivaganga, withdrew his anticipatory bail plea before a Delhi court on Friday in connection with the Diageo bribery case. The decision came after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) assured the court that there was no imminent plan to arrest the Congress leader.
The court, however, directed the CBI to provide three days’ written notice if they decide to arrest Chidambaram in the future.
While disposing of the plea, the court stated,
“The Investigating Agency (CBI) shall give three days written notice prior to the Applicant in case his arrest is required after he joins the investigation of the case upon his return to the country on 12.01.2025. The Applicant shall join the investigation of the case upon his return to the country and cooperate in the process of investigation, as and when so required in accordance with law.”
The case involves alleged bribes received from whiskey importer Diageo to lift a ban on the sale of duty-free liquor in 2005, during the tenure of P Chidambaram as Union Finance Minister. The CBI claims that $15,000 USD was funneled through Advantage Strategic Consulting Pvt. Ltd., an entity reportedly controlled by Karti Chidambaram.
Additionally, suspicious transactions involving the same entity were allegedly linked to approvals granted by the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) between 2008 and 2010, specifically regarding Sequoia Capital.
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The agency asserts that these transactions were camouflaged as consultancy charges under fake contracts.
Chidambaram, currently abroad, moved the anticipatory bail plea fearing detention upon his return to India on January 12. He argued that the case was politically motivated, citing similar detention by the CBI during his return in 2018.
Chidambaram also questioned the delay in registering the case, as the allegations date back to 2004-2010. He dismissed the claims as baseless and emphasized that no Look Out Circular (LOC) had been issued against him.
The Congress MP was represented by Senior Advocate Sidharth Luthra, assisted by advocates Arshdeep Singh, Akshat Gupta, Sheezan Hashmi, Harsh Srivastava, and Shrey Nautiyal.
On behalf of the CBI, Senior Public Prosecutor Ashutosh Tripathi and Public Prosecutor Shekhar Ghelot presented their arguments.
The court has directed Chidambaram to cooperate with the investigation once he returns to India. This temporary relief marks a crucial moment in the ongoing legal battle, with further developments anticipated in the coming weeks.
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