New Delhi
Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma of the Delhi High Court on Tuesday recused herself from hearing a plea filed by Congress MP Karti P. Chidambaram seeking quashing of a CBI corruption case linked to alleged bribery involving Diageo Scotland.
When the matter came up, Justice Sharma declined to hear the case, which will now be placed before another Bench, subject to the orders of the Chief Justice, the master of the roster.
Chidambaram has sought the quashing of the FIR registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on January 1, 2025, accusing him of influencing public servants to secure relief for Diageo Scotland over a ban on duty-free sale of its whisky.
In his plea, the Congress MP has contended that he was never called during the preliminary enquiry and denied an opportunity to present his stand before the registration of the FIR.
He has also argued that there was an unexplained delay of nearly two decades, as the allegations pertain to the period between 2004 and 2010, while the FIR was lodged only in 2025. Chidambaram has further submitted that there is no allegation that he either demanded or accepted any bribe or illegal gratification, and therefore, offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act are not made out against him.
This is not the first time Justice Sharma has recused from a matter involving Chidambaram. Earlier, she had recused herself from hearing his plea challenging a trial court order framing charges in the alleged Chinese visa scam case.
In that matter, Chidambaram has challenged the December 23, 2025, order of a special CBI court, which framed charges against him for criminal conspiracy and bribing a public servant over alleged irregularities in the issuance of visas to Chinese nationals in 2011. According to the CBI, around 250 Chinese workers were allegedly granted project visas for a Punjab-based power project in violation of Ministry of Home Affairs norms.
Justice Sharma has also recently recused herself from hearing former AAP MLA Naresh Balyan’s bail plea in a case under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA).
