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Congress leader Karti Chidambaram has approached the Delhi High Court, seeking the quashing of a fresh FIR filed against him by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
The new FIR accuses Chidambaram of allegedly providing favourable treatment to Diageo Scotland, an alcoholic beverage company, by intervening to lift a ban on the duty-free sale of its whisky. In his petition, Chidambaram has sought the quashing of the FIR, which includes charges under Sections 120B, 420, and 471 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), as well as Sections 8, 9, 13(2), and 13(1)(d) of the Prevention of Corruption (PC) Act. According to the CBI, Chidambaram is accused of accepting bribes through sham contracts and share transactions. Chidambaram has contended in his plea that he was never summoned to join the preliminary inquiry and that no public servant allegedly influenced by him is named in the FIR. He also pointed out a significant delay in the filing of the FIR, which does not name any specific public servant, and argued that no prima facie case has been established against him. The plea further stated that the registration of the FIR itself is illegal since it was filed against unidentified public servants without obtaining prior approval under Section 17-A of the PC Act, as required by law. Consequently, any inquiry or investigation carried out under the registration of this FIR is also illegal, the plea argued. (ANI)
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