SC grants bail to Pernod Ricard India official in Delhi liquor scam case

A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and S V N Bhatti told Additional Solicitor General S V Raju, representing the ED, that it is not proper and the agency can't keep people behind bars, before a trial, for a long period of time.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday granted bail to a senior executive of Pernod Ricard India, a subsidiary of one of the world's largest alcoholic beverages companies, in a money laundering case being investigated by Enforcement Directorate in the alleged Delhi liquor policy scam.

A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and S V N Bhatti told Additional Solicitor General S V Raju, representing the ED, that it is not proper and the agency can't keep people behind bars, before a trial, for long period of time.

While granting bail to Benoy Babu, the regional general manager, the court primarily considered the fact that Babu had already spent 13 months in jail and was a junior employee, and prima-facie played only a minimal role in the scam.

Senior advocate Harish Salve, representing Babu argued that his client was a junior employee who played no role in policy making, and he was not on the Board of the company or MD.

Agreeing to the submission, the bench said that he has been in jail for 13 months.

“You can’t keep somebody in jail for so long. We are giving bail. 13 months is a very long time. Trial is far from starting," the bench told Raju.

Salve cited the apex court’s observations made in the case of Manish Sisodia, though his plea for bail was declined by the court.

The bench noted that there seemed to be a contradiction between what the Central Bureau of Investigation alleged and what the ED alleged.

He is not an accused in the charge sheet filed by CBI in the case but a prosecution witness. Babu was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on November 10, 2022 and is currently in judicial custody.

The bench also pointed out that charges have not been framed against Babu.

Raju, however, asked the court not to treat the case as a precedent in the order.

Several people have been arrested in connection with this case, including Delhi's ex-Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh.