The Supreme Court has granted bail to a senior executive of Pernod Ricard India, a subsidiary of one of the world’s largest alcoholic beverages company, in connection with the Enforcement Directorate’s case about the Delhi liquor policy scam.
In granting Benoy Babu, the Regional General Manager, bail, the top court made a sharp remark, “You can’t keep people behind bars, before a trial, for long (periods of time). This is not proper…”
“… We still don’t know how this will go. There seems to be contradiction between what the Central Bureau of Investigation is alleging and what the ED is alleging,” Justice Sanjiv Khanna observed.
The bench, which also included Justice SVN Bhatt, directed bail for Mr Babu after noting he had already been in prison for 13 months and based on factual circumstances raised in his application.
Several people have been arrested in connection with this case, which has triggered a massive political row between the ruling BJP and the opposition, particularly the Aam Aadmi Party that is in power in Delhi. Two senior AAP members, including ex-Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh have been arrested in connection with this case.
Mr Sisodia has been in jail since February and Mr Singh since October.
