4 months ago
1
The Supreme Court connected Tuesday (February 3, 2026) granted interim bail to Congress MLA and erstwhile Chhattisgarh Excise Minister Kawasi Lakhma successful 2 alleged liquor scam cases lodged separately by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the State police.
A Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant granted the interim alleviation aft considering the information that Mr. Lakhma had been successful jailhouse since his apprehension by the ED connected January 15 past twelvemonth connected wealth laundering charges.
Mr. Lakhma was arrested by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) of the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the State constabulary connected April 2, 2025. The tribunal further considered the submission that the probe was inactive going connected and determination were to beryllium respective 100 witnesses. The proceedings was yet to commence.
One of the conditions connected the erstwhile Minister the tribunal laid down for bail was that Mr. Lakhma would person to unrecorded extracurricular the State and indispensable look successful courts connected the proceedings dates.
The Bench asked Mr. Lakhma to taxable his passport successful the proceedings tribunal and asked him not to effort to power witnesses of the cases. Besides, helium would person to stock his mobile fig and whereabouts to the probe agencies during the trial.
According to the ED, the liquor “scam” successful Chhattisgarh was orchestrated betwixt 2019 and 2022 during the play of the Bhupesh Baghel-led Congress government. The alleged scam resulted successful a “massive loss” to the State exchequer. The ED accused Chaitanya Baghel, the lad of the erstwhile Chief Minister, to beryllium astatine the helm of the alleged scam, and personally handling astir ₹1,000 crore generated from the scandal.
