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The Supreme Court on Tuesday granted interim bail to Congress leader and former Chhattisgarh Excise Minister Kawasi Lakhma in cases registered by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Economic Offences Wing (EoW) in connection with the alleged liquor scam.
A Bench led by the Chief Justice of India held that, although the allegations are serious and the investigation is complex and ongoing, prolonged custody of the petitioner would raise concerns regarding personal liberty. The Court said the competing claims of the prosecution and the accused must be balanced. "On one hand is the right of the prosecution to have an uninterrupted, fair and free right to pursue the investigation, and on the other hand is the right of the petitioner to seek liberty. In order to balance the competitive claims asserted by both sides, we deem it appropriate to grant interim bail at this stage," the Court said. Granting interim bail in both ED and EoW cases, the Court imposed strict conditions. Lakhma has been directed not to enter the State of Chhattisgarh except to attend court proceedings and must arrive at least one day prior to the hearing. He will not be granted an exemption from personal appearance except on health grounds. The Court also directed that Lakhma shall not travel abroad, must deposit his passport with the special court, and shall furnish his mobile number to the ED, which cannot be changed without informing the trial court. He has been permitted to participate in public events but restrained from making any statement regarding the allegations against him. On a request seeking permission to attend Assembly proceedings, the Court said that since the chargesheet has been filed and cognisance is yet to be taken, the issue may be decided by the Speaker of the Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly. The Court was hearing a plea filed by Lakhma challenging his continued custody in connection with the alleged liquor scam. Lakhma was arrested by the ED in January 2025 and later by the EoW in April 2025. Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Lakhma, submitted that the investigation against the petitioner is substantially complete and multiple chargesheets have already been filed. He pointed out that there are 52 accused, of whom 19 have already been granted bail, while several others were chargesheeted without arrest. Rohatgi argued that there is no recovery or direct money trail linking Lakhma to the alleged proceeds of crime. Opposing the plea, Senior Advocate Mahesh Jethmalani and Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, appearing for the ED and the State, contended that the offence is grave and has caused massive loss to the state exchequer. The agencies relied on documentary, digital and forensic evidence and submitted that the investigation is still underway. The Court, however, noted that the prosecution proposes to examine 117 witnesses in the ED case, 863 witnesses in the EOW case and that the scale of the case suggests the trial and investigation will take considerable time, which warrants interim relief to protect the petitioner's liberty. (ANI)
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