Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma of the Delhi High Court has recused herself from presiding over a plea filed by Congress MP Karti P. Chidambaram. The plea sought to dismiss a CBI corruption case related to alleged bribery involving Diageo Scotland. As Justice Sharma declined to hear the case, it will be reassigned to another Bench, subject to the Chief Justice’s orders.
Chidambaram’s plea aims to invalidate the FIR lodged by the CBI on January 1, 2025, which accuses him of influencing public servants to aid Diageo Scotland in a duty-free sale ban on its whisky. He argues that there was a significant delay in filing the FIR, spanning nearly two decades from 2004 to 2010, and disputes any involvement in bribery or corruption.
Chidambaram asserts that he was not part of the preliminary inquiry and was not given a chance to present his side before the FIR was filed. He contends that the allegations do not support charges under the Prevention of Corruption Act, as there is no evidence of him demanding or accepting any illegal gratification. This is not the first instance where Justice Sharma has recused herself from a case involving Chidambaram. She had previously stepped down from hearing his plea challenging charges in an alleged Chinese visa scam case.
