The Central Bureau of Investigation has booked Congress MP Karti Chidambaram in a fresh corruption case, accusing him of accepting bribes to allegedly help lift a ban imposed on alcoholic beverage company Diageo Scotland for the sale of duty-free liquor, The Times of India reported.

The first information report, filed on January 1 based on a complaint by CBI Inspector Ravi Raj Khatik, also mentions Advantage Strategic Consulting Private Limited, an entity controlled by Karti Chidambaram and his associate S Bhaskararaman, and Diageo Scotland, Sequoia Capital Mauritius and Vasan Healthcare Private Limited.

A preliminary enquiry was started in May 2018 against Karti Chidambaram, Advantage Strategic Consulting, Bhaskararaman and unknown public servants of the Foreign Investment Promotion Board, among others, to investigate the processing and approvals by the panel.

The board is tasked with processing applications for foreign direct investment.

Diageo Scotland had been exporting duty-free Johnnie Walker whisky to India till April 2005 when the India Tourism Development Corporation embargoed the sale of the liquor manufacturer’s duty-free products, the CBI said. This resulted in losses for the company as a significant proportion of its business in India relied on selling Johnnie Walker whisky, the agency claimed.

The central investigative agency has alleged that Diageo Scotland approached Karti Chidambaram, the son of former Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram, to help lift the embargo.

The FIR alleged that Diageo Scotland and Sequoia Capital Mauritius were found to have “suspiciously transferred funds” to Advantage Strategic Consulting, The Indian Express reported. The payment had been disguised as consultancy fees, the central agency alleged.

Separately, the FIR alleged that Sequoia Capital, Mauritius had in October 2008 sought the approval of the Foreign Investment Promotion Board for investing up to 26% in the share capital of Platinum Power Wealth Advisor Private Limited. The board’s approval for the investment of Rs 9.5 crore came from P Chidambaram as the finance minister, the agency claimed.

“Enquiry also revealed that at the time when the FIPB proposal of Sequoia Capital for FDI was moved, some suspicious share transactions at exorbitant price took place between Sequoia Capital and ASCPL through Vasan Health Care Pvt. Ltd,” the FIR reportedly said.

It added: “Instead of directly acquiring the shares of Vasan group, the shares were routed through ASCPL in order to benefit Karti as a total of Rs 22.5 crore was paid by Sequoia to ASCPL (Rs 7,500 per share) in lieu of these shares as against the purchase price of Rs 30 lakh.”

Karti Chidambaram was briefly arrested by the CBI in the INX Media money-laundering case in 2018.

The complaint alleged that Karti Chidambaram used his father’s influence to interfere in the Foreign Investment Promotion Board’s process to clear INX Media’s application. He allegedly received Rs 10 lakh in kickbacks from INX Media for his interference. The CBI has also accused INX Media of bribing Karti Chidambaram to scuttle a tax investigation.