CBI Files New FIR Against Karti Chidambaram in a Whiskey Bribery Case
Karti Chidambaram, a Congress MP and the son of former Finance Minister P Chidambaram, has been the subject of a new formal complaint filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The issue centres on claims that Karti assisted Diageo Scotland, a UK-based alcoholic beverage business, in getting past an Indian law that prohibited the duty-free selling of its Johnnie Walker whiskey.
An initial enquiry in the case was initiated in 2018, which probed the processing and approval of Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearances. The new FIR alleges corruption in lifting the ban imposed on Diageo Scotland for the sale of duty-free liquor in India in 2008 besides FIPB clearance to Sequoia Capital.
It is alleged that Karti received bribes through Vasan Health Care to grant FIPB clearance to Sequoia Capital. Vasan Health Care, Diageo Scotland and Sequoia Capital have also been named in the new complaint.
Diageo Scotland was importing duty-free Johnnie Walker scotch whiskey in India until April 2005. Following the ban by India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) on the sale of Diageo's duty-free products, the company experienced significant losses. CBI alleges, that Karti helped Diageo to get the embargo lifted and the company made a questionable payment of $15,000 to Advantage Strategic Consulting Pvt Ltd (ASCPL), a company purportedly controlled by Karti and his aide S Bhaskararaman.