CBI has registered a fresh case against Congress MP Karti Chidambaram, accusing accepting bribes for lifting the ban on liquor manufacturer Diageo and FDI clearance for Sequoia Capital and routing bribe money through Vasan Eye Care and his own firm Advantage Capital. As per the CBI FIR, Karti got around Rs.87 crore on these deals by misusing father and former Finance Minister P Chidambaram’s office.
Apart from Karti, other accused are Chidambaram family’s Chartered Accountant S Bhaskararaman, Vasan Eye Care promoter (late) Dwarakanathan, bribe givers liquor company Diageo Scotland and venture capital firm Sequoia Capital and Karti controlled firms Advantage Strategic Consulting, Vasan Eye Care, which is now defunct.
CBI FIR charges Karti and his firm Advantage for accepting bribe of 15,000 Dollars for lifting ban on liquour company Diageo Scotland which supplies famous brand Johnnie Walker Whiskey. CBI FIR says more than 86 crore was routed by Karti controlled firms Vasan Eye Care and Advantage Strategic Consulting in providing Foreign Direct Investment clearance for Mauritius based venture capital firm Sequoia Capital’s proposals from Finance Ministry then headed by P Chidambaram. Detailing the money trail, CBI FIR says these transactions happened between 2008 to 2010.
Karti is currently facing three CBI cases – Aircel Maxis deal, INX Media bribery and Chinese Visa case. This is his fourth case, facing corruption, misusing his father former Finance Minister P Chidambaram. He is also facing Enforcement Directorate’s case in Aircel Maxis and INX Media bribery case. In Aircel Maxis deal and INX Media bribery case, Karti is a Co-Accused with his father P Chidambaram.
