Delhi Police Summons United Spirits CEO Hina Nagarajan in Liquor Payments Case, Says Report

Hina Nagarajan, the CEO of United Spirits and a member of Diageo’s global executive committee, has been requested to appear before the police on Friday to provide documents related to company sales. The confidential police notice, dated July 4, directed Nagarajan to appear in person or through a company representative for the investigation.

Diageo, which owns 56% of United Spirits, confirmed receiving the notice and expressed its full cooperation in providing the requested information. The police are investigating potential wrongdoing in the sales process and have called the United Spirits CEO as a witness.

In the notice, Nagarajan was asked to explain whether the discounts given to government agencies were in line with the excise policy. However, the police did not respond to queries from Reuters, and a senior police source mentioned that the investigation is ongoing.

Delhi is a significant market for premium liquor brands, with Diageo being the world’s largest spirits maker. The company competes with Pernod Ricard, which has faced challenges in selling alcohol in New Delhi since late 2020.

The police notice also sought invoice details from United Spirits in relation to sales and payments received from Delhi city agencies between April 2017 and March 2020, as well as the name of the company employee who collected payments. Additionally, the police asked for bank statements from that period.

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