Delhi Liquor Policy scam: SC grants bail to Pernod Ricard’s Benoy Babu, says ‘can’t keep people behind bars before…’

The Supreme Court on 8 December granted bail to Benoy Babu, Regional Manager of Pernod Ricard India, who was arrested in a money laundering case related to the alleged Delhi excise policy scam, Live Law has reported.

A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and SVN Bhatti noted that the accused has been in custody for more than 13 months and the trial against him has still not commenced in the case.

During the announcing the bail, Justice Sanjiv Khanna told Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, appearing for the Enforcement Directorate (ED) said, “You can't keep people behind bars before trial for long. This is not proper...we still don't know how this will go...there seems to be a contradiction between what CBI is alleging and ED is alleging..”

Appearing for Babu, senior advocate Harish Salve said it is a completely 'bogus case' against his client which is being probed by the ED.

"As per the ED's case, Babu met Vijay Nair (Aam Aadmi Party’s communication in-charge and accused in Delhi excise policy case) on March 27, 2021 but the draft excise policy was already announced on March 22, 2021," the senior lawyer said.

Justice Khanna also told Additional Solicitor General Raju that the ED cannot put anyone behind for such a long period of time without the trial being commenced and ordered that Babu be released on bail in the case.

"It's nothing but long pre-trial detention. In CBI’s case he is a prosecution witness but in ED's case he has been named as an accused," the bench said, while directing him to be released on bail.

Earlier on 4 December, a Delhi court had denied interim bail to Benoy Babu. Babu was earlier on interim bail for 1 month on medical grounds, claiming he was suffering from ailments related to a degenerating jaw bone and gum disease.

Babu was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on November 10, 2022 and is currently in judicial custody.