3 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Apr 29, 2026 11:25 AM IST
Delhi High Court judge, Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma, recused herself from hearing Congress MP Karti Chidamabaram’s petition seeking quashing of an FIR accusing him of receiving “suspicious” fund transfers from liquor company Diageo and venture capital fund Sequoia Capital Tuesday.
Karti and a firm accused in the case, Advantage Strategic Consulting Private Limited, through its director Rajesh Mohanan, had moved pleas before the Delhi HC seeking quashing of the FIR lodged by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in 2025.
Justice Sharma, whose roster deals with criminal cases involving MPs and MLAs, recused from both matters without disclosing the reason for the move, and said they will have to be listed before another bench. The pleas will now be taken up next on July 21 before another court.
This comes in the backdrop of Justice Sharma refusing to recuse herself from hearing the excise policy case while rejecting pleas filed by former Delhi Chief Minister and AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal and five others
Case against the MP
On January 1 last year, the CBI had booked Karti and Advantage Strategic Consulting Pvt Ltd (ASPCL) — an entity controlled by Karti and his aide S Bhaskararaman — besides Diageo Scotland, Sequoia Capital Mauritius and Vasan Healthcare Pvt Ltd after receiving a complaint from CBI inspector Ravi Raj Khatik.
“A preliminary enquiry was registered on May 29, 2018, against M/s Katra Holdings Ltd, Mauritius, M/s Advantage Strategic Consulting Pvt Ltd, Karti P Chidambaram, Ravi Vishwananthan, Padma Vishwananthan, S Bhaskararaman, unknown public servants of Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) and unknown others to probe into the processing and approval of FIPB,” Khatik had alleged in the complaint, which is a part of the FIR.
It was the CBI’s case that M/s Diageo Scotland, UK, used to import duty-free Johnnie Walker whisky. The India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC), which had a monopoly over sale of imported duty-free liquor in India, in 2005 had put an embargo on the sale of Diageo Group’s duty-free products in India, which resulted in huge loss to M/s Diageo Scotland as 70% of its business in India pertained to the sale of Johnnie Walker whisky.
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According to the CBI, Diageo Scotland allegedly approached Karti to lift the ban and paid him USD 15,000 through ASCPL.
Separately, according to the FIR, Sequoia Capital, Mauritius, had submitted an application for FIPB approval on October 13, 2008 for investing up to 26% in the share capital of Platinum Power Wealth Advisor Pvt. Ltd. The FIPB approval for FDI inflow of `9.52 crore was allegedly approved by P Chidambaram, the then the Finance Minister, in 2008, the agency said.
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