Can't keep people behind bars before trial for long: SC

The Supreme Court on Friday granted bail to Pernod Ricard India regional head Benoy Babu who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in November last year on charges of money laundering in a case arising out of the Delhi excise policy case.

Observing that it is "not proper" to keep people in pre-trial detention for "so long", a division bench headed by Justice Sanjiv Khanna granted bail to Babu.

The bench also observed that there seem to be "contradictions" between the accusations levelled by the CBI and ED. The bench further noted that Babu has undergone 13 months of incarceration and the trial in the said case is yet to commence. Babu had appealed against a Delhi High Court order which had denied him bail in July this year.


The ED had registered a case on the basis of a first information report (FIR) registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Babu was earlier granted bail in the CBI case.

The CBI had booked Manish Sisodia, former deputy chief minister of Delhi and 15 others last August on charges of corruption, criminal conspiracy, falsification of accounts and undue advantage in connection with the liquor policy. The agency had also registered an FIR against ten people and their associates, who obtained licences to sell liquor following a reference from the Union home ministry, which sought a probe into "irregularities" in the Delhi excise policy.